A wine expert who blindly tasted different wines during the London Marathon said he felt "honored" when his challenge went viral on social media, exceeding his fundraising target.
He said he aimed to raise $2,490 for the Sobell House hospice charity in Oxford. Currently, he has raised more than $16,000.
Tom Gilbey, known as the "wine guy," drank from 25 glasses during the race, stopping at each mile to guess the type of grape used, country of origin, and vintage.
Gilbey posted a video to TikTok, which has received over 3.2 million views. He had his first sip just after the start of the marathon at about 9:30 am.
On his JustGiving website, he wrote that he was running the London Marathon "to raise money for the wonderful team at Sobell House hospice, who nursed and cared for my dear Mum in her last few days" and that he hoped he would "not die doing it."
Gilbey, a London-based runner, reported that the marathon went "really well" and that the reward of a taste of wine after every mile had motivated him.
He shared that out of the 25 glasses sampled, he got four entirely wrong, seven exactly right, and the others mostly right.
Furthermore, he finished the race in 4 hours and 41 minutes. He said, "It's my first experience of this going absolutely mad, and I feel very honored."
He added that it is incredible as it is for a great charity and described that they are one of the many hospices that work their socks off to make significant differences.
The wines included a $49 Barolo, tiny bottles, bottled wine from gas stations, and canned wine.
