It’s not uncommon for Americans to run a marathon sometime during the course of their life. However, because of their already-busy schedules, there is not a huge number of high school students who participate in marathons during their high school careers. Even more rare than students running marathons, are students who travel to France specifically to participate in a marathon. As unique as this feat is, senior Cindy Wu trained for six months to do just that.

“Before this marathon, I could run about a mile,” Wu said.  “At first I was going to go just to cheer my dad on, but then I decided it was a rare opportunity and I should take more initiative with my life.”

However, preparing for the marathon was not entirely without hardships.

“Training was stressful and it took a lot of self discipline,” Wu said. “My first instinct was ‘I could never do this.’”

Le Marathon Du Medoc is nicknamed “Le Marathon Le Plus Long Du Monde,” or in English, “The Longest Marathon in the World,” not because it’s actually the longest marathon in the world, but because it’s a marathon where participants take time to enjoy the run. People from all over the world travel to the city of Pauillac to participate in the 26.2 mile marathon. Some of the most represented countries included Germany, Belgium, Great Britain and Japan. The marathon took place on Sept. 8, but Wu spent the week leading up to it in France, experiencing the culture and practicing her French-speaking skills. The theme of the marathon was “history,” so runners were encouraged to show up in costumes.

“Some people were dressed as cavemen, or Roman soldiers, or ‘60s hippies,” Wu said. “One person ran with a stereo, and everyone danced to ‘YMCA’ in German.”

There were 16 checkpoints set up where wine and food was given to runners who were of legal drinking age. French spectators brought their own food to hand out to participants as they ran by, and at the last 38K checkpoint, oysters and steak were available. Bottles of wine were given out to those who were awarded best dressed, and finishers were given bottles of wine that ranged from $20 in price all the way up to $2,000. To give all participants a little extra challenge, the weather that day was about 95 degrees, almost as hot as it was in Austin.

“Finishing was so rewarding because I wanted to give up so many times,” Wu said. “I would encourage anyone to take the initiative to run in a marathon, because you don’t know the fun you’re missing if you never try. Along the way people doubted me, which made me want to try harder. My friend Jack Swink gave me some good advice. He said ‘Let your yesses be yes and your noes be no. You gotta finish what you sign up for.’”

Wu had about a week of school to make up when she got home, but that didn’t take away from the experience.

“It was so worth it to miss, even though I had to stay up a night or two,” Wu said. “Being a senior, I wanted to get out there to try new things and it was both a confidence- and mental-boost to be able to finish. If I can do something like that, it opens up a lot of possibility.”