This was my first time in Paris and running the Paris marathon. The city is BEAUTIFUL and welcoming. We had a wonderful time and the race was at the end … MORE
This was my first time in Paris and running the Paris marathon. The city is BEAUTIFUL and welcoming. We had a wonderful time and the race was at the end of our trip.
The course isn’t super challenging with hills, but there is a climb the last few miles into the finish. Beyond that it was the cobblestone, crowded streets and spectators making the course more narrow that I didn’t love.
I lucked out with weather, it was overcast and it drizzled at the end, however that also wasn’t favorable for running on cobblestone. The cobblestone is the first 2 miles of the race, then it reappears here and there, but it’s also the last 2 miles as well.
The crowd control needs improvement. Spectators were in the course making the already narrow roads more narrow. They were also crossing the course without looking and runners had friends jump in – running with them, causing even more congestion.
The tee shirt was ok, I gave bonus points for the swag because the medal is really cute.
I would not go back to run this marathon again, definitely a one and done.
54,000 runners on congested roads makes it hard to PR or get your speed. There is no proof to corral so it was a free for all in the 4 hour corral with people walking from the start.
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Crowded & Cobblestone
This was my first time in Paris and running the Paris marathon. The city is BEAUTIFUL and welcoming. We had a wonderful time and the race was at the end … MORE
This was my first time in Paris and running the Paris marathon. The city is BEAUTIFUL and welcoming. We had a wonderful time and the race was at the end of our trip.
The course isn’t super challenging with hills, but there is a climb the last few miles into the finish. Beyond that it was the cobblestone, crowded streets and spectators making the course more narrow that I didn’t love.
I lucked out with weather, it was overcast and it drizzled at the end, however that also wasn’t favorable for running on cobblestone. The cobblestone is the first 2 miles of the race, then it reappears here and there, but it’s also the last 2 miles as well.
The crowd control needs improvement. Spectators were in the course making the already narrow roads more narrow. They were also crossing the course without looking and runners had friends jump in – running with them, causing even more congestion.
The tee shirt was ok, I gave bonus points for the swag because the medal is really cute.
I would not go back to run this marathon again, definitely a one and done.
54,000 runners on congested roads makes it hard to PR or get your speed. There is no proof to corral so it was a free for all in the 4 hour corral with people walking from the start.
Beautiful course
Overall, the Paris Marathon is a great race. The number of historical monuments and buildings you pass is amazing. This was my first time in Paris as well as my … MORE
Overall, the Paris Marathon is a great race. The number of historical monuments and buildings you pass is amazing. This was my first time in Paris as well as my first time running this marathon.
On race day, I was in the last wave of 4:30 + runners. Our scheduled start time was at 11:10am. Volunteers would start portions of our corral every minute or so to space us out. I was near the front of the wave and started at 11:14am.
Aid stations along the course are spread out every 5k. Paris is becoming more sustainable so they give water bottles instead of cups of water. This helped me fill my handheld water bottle more easily. The food at stations were things like crackers, croissants, & bananas. Aid stations in the 2nd half of the race were running out of some of the food and bottles of water.
Support along the course is fairly good. My Airbnb host explained that it’s not as common in France for people to cheer for runners they don’t know. At the busier areas, some people did do this though. I believe this is slowly changing and I definitely appreciated their shouts of “Courage!”
Except for the start and finish areas (and some intersections), the course isn’t blocked off with tape or barriers. Spectators would crowd portions of the course, making it more narrow for runners. I think sometimes they thought the green “most direct route” line was the place they were to stand. Despite this, most of the roadways are wide and had enough room for all runners. I do hope they block off more of the course in the future. It was a pain when spectators and tourists would cross the course and impede runners.
There are elements of race production that can be improved, but overall, Paris Marathon is an excellent race and worth doing for the beauty of Paris. I would consider doing this race again.
NOT For Beginners
Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris advertised itself as a “great” marathon for beginners, and that could not be farther from the truth. First of all, they had the slowest group … MORE
Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris advertised itself as a “great” marathon for beginners, and that could not be farther from the truth.
First of all, they had the slowest group (4hr 30min +) start last, by HOURS. The first few groups were already done and gone by the time the last group started, so it was around 12pm NOON that we began running. It was so disorganized, they began LOCKING the porta-potties by the time we got to the 8 mile mark — how messed up is that?! They ran out of snacks (other than bananas), they opened up the street earlier than they said they would (we had to bob and weave between traffic and almost got lost in the last 2-3 miles) and they “RAN OUT” of shirts by the time we finished!! We paid for shirts!!! Horrible, horrible, first marathon experience, I really expected more. I would never ever recommend this race for anyone that runs slower than a 4 hour marathon— they don’t care if you live or die.
Allez Allez Allez, Merci Beacoup Paris!
We flew into CDG airport on Friday morning, and went straight to the expo with our luggage and all. Please keep in mind the CDG airport is actually pretty far … MORE
We flew into CDG airport on Friday morning, and went straight to the expo with our luggage and all. Please keep in mind the CDG airport is actually pretty far from Paris city center, it will take you an hour by train at least. Download the Paris Taxi app, they use that instead of Uber and it’s pretty easy to use as well. The expo had a luggage check which was awesome, so we didn’t have to walk around the expo with our luggage. BIB pickup was smooth, they had booth set up, just look up your bib number and go to the assigned booth, maybe 1 or 2 people in line, breeze. Then we walked around, the usual massive wall with all the names of the participants, other pictures opportunities, massive vendors area. We are from the USA and we saw runnning brands that we don’t see in the USA. I guess the European brand doesn’t market the USA region. So it was pretty neat to see new brands. My 5 year old son ran the Maratoons 400 meter run the next day. It was cute, pretty well organized.
Race report: The start and finish line are close to one another but it is not exactly the same. This is a huge marathon, I think 2024 had 52,000 finishers. We just followed the crowd off the train to the bag drop, which is at the finish line NOT the start line. Then get into your assigned corral. The scenery and crowd were awesome! Only a small patch of area that I would say were boring, other than that people yelling “ Allez Allez” from both sides of the street at all times. A few areas with cobblestone. It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be but when I was exhausted towards the finish and had to run the last few km on cobblestone, it added a new dimension to the experience. Cross the finish line, pickup the medal and finisher T shirt. I really really love the simplicity of the medal and T shirt design. The medal was a ring design, designed to commemorate the Paris 2024 Olympic. T shirt had no adds or sponsorship on them, high quality shirt from ASICS. We got or baggage and headed back to our Air Bnb. Please keep in mind that many businesses our closed on Sunday. Including grocery stores, restaurants and cafes. I highly recommend planning a head and making a reservation for a place to eat after the race a head of time as this race on a Sunday and it could be challenging if you are traveling with a large group.
Over all awesome awesome race! A few very minor details to work on for future.
1. Need more volunteers in the race morning. I wish there were more volunteers that could help direct us to bag check, start line, etc. 52,000 runners all roaming around not knowing which way to go was not a plus.
2. The Km markers were patchy. It was every 2 km in the beginning, then I swear it disappeared. There were only markers for major km like 20, 30, etc. my family planned to meet me around km 16, I had no way of seeing them.
3. There were few area closer to the finish where the crowd were into the street. They were separated by a single rope from the runners. We really appreciate the crowd support but it caused an already narrow street to become congested and bottleneck situation. Runners had to slow down.
Schneider ElectricIt's only a money trap
Request medical certificates hidden until you fully paid, and no one supports enquiry after 4 months, Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris simply a scum event!!!! My 100euro lose!!!!!! MORE
Request medical certificates hidden until you fully paid, and no one supports enquiry after 4 months, Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris simply a scum event!!!! My 100euro lose!!!!!!
Great scenery, great crowd
It was a really pleasant experience even though it was like 5 degrees Celsius. The course is mostly flat with some uphills out of the tunnels and one almost at … MORE
It was a really pleasant experience even though it was like 5 degrees Celsius. The course is mostly flat with some uphills out of the tunnels and one almost at the end. There’s quite a lot of cobblestone, but it’s in good condition so you shouldn’t be worried that you’ll hurt yourself. Crowd was fantastic, there were people at almost every corner.
beautiful race through beautiful city!
beautiful route, great crowd support but surprised that there was no water nor drinks of any kind provided at start (as is typical in Boston, NYC, etc). MORE
beautiful route, great crowd support but surprised that there was no water nor drinks of any kind provided at start (as is typical in Boston, NYC, etc).
Wonderful experience
The people of Paris came in force to support and in this pandemic era it was so exhilarating to see this. On course nutrition is unbelievable and well though off … MORE
The people of Paris came in force to support and in this pandemic era it was so exhilarating to see this. On course nutrition is unbelievable and well though off for this era. All the crowd support, the bands the sheer history of running on fabled street and around the historical monuments made me complete my marathon. I would definitely go back even though that was not my mantra of running in the same city again.
Great City, decent race
As a destination race, the location is magnificent and I would rate the trip as a five star experience. I traveled with my family (two children and wife). The scores … MORE
As a destination race, the location is magnificent and I would rate the trip as a five star experience. I traveled with my family (two children and wife). The scores are specific to the actual race production, which could be improved.
Pro’s
Location = The scenery is amazing, how often can you go for a run and see the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. Some great views along the course, with many more landmarks en route.
Course – The course is very flat, definitely a race to get a PR. There is some cobblestone, but I wear Hoka’s so didn’t notice it much. If you wear more of a racing flat, you’ll feel them. The last 4 miles have some slight inclines. Nothing that will knock you out, but something that might slow your pace, so keep that in mind if you are going for a particular time.
Things to be aware of:
No power drinks or synthetic carbs – This is billed as a very green race, so everything at the aid stations are natural. They hand out small water bottles that you then throw into recycle bins. I found this to be better than cups as you can easily run with the bottle without spilling and get more liquid. There are no sports drinks like Gatorade, so if you are use to that you will need to bring or you could carry tablets to drop in the bottle. You won’t see Gu either, the food was natural – bananas, pretzels, oranges, sugar cubes. Do not take food or drink from spectators especially near the end. Apparently it is funny to try to get a marathoner to grab a “sports drink” which is really wine or fruit that is really cheese.
Cons
Pre race info – The amount of information in the runners guide was essentially a 12 page PowerPoint presentation. Very lite on details. The map is hard to zoom in on to get details. You run through a tunnel, which you would never know looking at the map. Very little information on bag drop. I only figured out that you needed to go to the finish line to drop your bags through help from someone on Facebook. The start and finish are relatively close, but with the crowds and security it’s a good 30 minute round trip from start to finish. Other races of this size go to excruciating detail about every aspect, which I find helps calm my nerves.
Aid stations = While well staffed and supplied, they are rather few. It’s advertised as every 5k, but that’s an aproximation. For example the first one is at 7k. You should take note of the actual locations. We had perfect weather at 40s F. So this spacing was ok. However, if there had been any sort of heat, I think a lot of people would be hurting.
Medal – I don’t know what happened this year and I am not usually a medal snob, but this was a joke. It’s a gold medal the word Paris, the distance and the year in blue white and red. That’s it, no Eiffel Tower, no design, nothing. Maybe it’s some minimalist design I don’t get, but doesn’t feel like a lot of effort was put into this one.
Overall I had a great time. I’m slow so was happy with my PR. If Paris is on your list of destinations, this is a fun race. It’s not up to the production values of the similarly sized world majors like NY, Tokyo, London,..but if you go in knowing to expect you’ll be fine. In addition it’s much much cheaper than any of the world marathons especially if you sign up early and you don’t have to go into a lottery to get in.
Overall - not bad.
From the moment I landed at CDG Airport, my experience in Paris, France, was a good one. Getting from the Airport to the hotel I was staying at was not … MORE
From the moment I landed at CDG Airport, my experience in Paris, France, was a good one. Getting from the Airport to the hotel I was staying at was not difficult – following the directions that was provided by the Travel and Tour Agency were easy to follow. There are a couple of ways in getting to the hotel – taxi, or bus – I took the bus, only because it’s less expensive than going by taxi. The same applies in getting from the hotel to the expo, and return – took the metro. There was a little time where I found myself getting turned around in circles on getting out of the metro – it would have helped if I knew that “sortie” meant “exit.” The Expo was pretty large with a lot of vendors. Getting to the start of the race, and to the assigned coral, from my hotel was all about 10-15 minutes. The Finish Line back to the hotel was about 20 minutes. Overall not too bad. There were plenty of water throughout the course, with cut up oranges, bananas, and other munchies. Spectator support was good throughout the city, but not so much when outside the city limits. The only downside to this event was the Finish Line – Men’s Finishers T-Shirt ran out, and what was given instead were Women’s Finishers T-Shirt until these too ran out. It was reported that some runners eventually lost out on getting a T-Shirt, and a medal – they also ran out – but, I understand that medals will be mailed out. It is still somewhat disappointing since some runners ran their 1st marathon in Paris, and having nothing to take home to show off their accomplishment. I don’t know if the race organization will be able to mail out any Finishers T-Shirts upon request, but I have sent an email to see if this can be done. Overall, not a bad race – oh, one last thing – there are cobblestones, but they are sporadic – the end of the race, when your legs are worn out, I found them to be a little more difficult than the early batches. Recommendation: make sure u put in the road work training so that u end up having a good time, and finish early enough to get both a T-Shirt, and a Medal.
Great course through the city
Loved this race! So much fun to run through such a beautiful city. It was hot the year I ran this so that's why I gave it a 2 for … MORE
Loved this race! So much fun to run through such a beautiful city. It was hot the year I ran this so that’s why I gave it a 2 for difficulty. If the weather was a usual April day I would give it a 1. Only complaint is not enough port-o-pots.
Great race, very scenic, lots of energy
Water only every few miles, but full bottles you can carry along. Great crowd support. Starting on Champs Elysees means minimal early congestion. MORE
Water only every few miles, but full bottles you can carry along. Great crowd support. Starting on Champs Elysees means minimal early congestion.
Big race and decently organized
Lots of runners 57,000! In spite of wave start expect to run shoulder to shoulder for good part of the race, especially at water stops. No sports drink available and … MORE
Lots of runners 57,000! In spite of wave start expect to run shoulder to shoulder for good part of the race, especially at water stops. No sports drink available and being a hot day, water breaks every 5 or 6 km was a bit challenging in second half of the race
A great way to see the city!
It takes a long time to start the race because of the shear number of people competing. The race was great and the medals and end party were a lot … MORE
It takes a long time to start the race because of the shear number of people competing. The race was great and the medals and end party were a lot of fun. I would recommend this race.
Run Paris in the spring
There is a time limit for this marathon (6 or 6.5 hrs). You're placed in a corral based on projected finish time, however, you can change corrals at the Expo. … MORE
There is a time limit for this marathon (6 or 6.5 hrs). You’re placed in a corral based on projected finish time, however, you can change corrals at the Expo. Slower runners can gain 2+ hrs by moving up a few corrals. Scenery in this marathon is fantastic. Aid stations have run out of water, bring your own bottle for refilling from hoses.
Eiffel Tower Photo Op at Mile 18
Vast race expo. Race day - Leave extra time to get into your starting corral... Fenced off & difficult to find entry points! On course nutrition = piles of raisins, … MORE
Vast race expo. Race day – Leave extra time to get into your starting corral… Fenced off & difficult to find entry points! On course nutrition = piles of raisins, sugar cubes, orange slices & bottles of water. Large post-race area for runners only. Pick meeting point in advance!
The City of Light, love,and running too!
A race that starts at "arc de triomphe" cannot be anything than epic. Flat and super scenic, particularly running along the Champs Elysees or parallel to the Seine river with … MORE
A race that starts at “arc de triomphe” cannot be anything than epic. Flat and super scenic, particularly running along the Champs Elysees or parallel to the Seine river with a gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower…It helps that I work for the company that had the title sponsor this year, so we got VIP treatment at the expo and on race day 🙂
A worthy bucket-list marathon, 100%
What an amazing marathon! It turns out that Paris in the springtime is pretty damn great, and our friends across the pond know how to put on a good race. … MORE
What an amazing marathon! It turns out that Paris in the springtime is pretty damn great, and our friends across the pond know how to put on a good race. The race weekend itself was a blast, from the expo to the Saturday morning Breakfast Run (more on that below) to the race itself. Here are some thoughts in no particular order:
THE GOOD:
–Race expo was laid out quite sensibly– it was easy for me to get in and out quickly, but I could have spent quite a while there. Bonus points for the expo being very easily accessible by metro/public transit.
–The course itself was incredible, starting on the Champs-Elysses (in the shadow of the Arc de Triomphe) and heading east through the heart of Paris before reaching Vincennes and coming back west. Running along the banks of the River Seine, looking up at the Notre Dame cathedral across the shore, was among the most peaceful moments in marathon racing that I’ve ever had. The course was a great mixture of city streets, neighborhoods, and green parks.
–The swag was pretty good! All registrants got a drawstring backpack that included a SPIbelt-type waist belt and a poncho for race morning (nice touch), and finishers received an Asics finisher’s shirt at the end of the race along with a medal. If you wanted to spring 7ish euros for a beer at the end, you also received a cool-looking marathon pint glass (plastic, but good quality). There was plenty of very reasonably-priced merchandise available at the expo, and I picked up another race tech shirt, which I almost never do.
–There was a pretty good selection of food for finishers, and if you wanted some hot food, there was a huge selection of reasonably-priced food vendors just outside of the area where you pick up your bag from gear check.
–It was definitely a party atmosphere at the end of the race
–The crowd support was excellent, significantly better than what I found at the Berlin Marathon. Many chants of “Allez, allez!” along the way
–THE BREAKFAST RUN WAS SO GREAT. The morning before the marathon, the Paris Marathon holds a 5K “breakfast run” that a little starts west of the Arc de Triumph and ends right by the Eiffel Tower. You have to pre-register for this, but for only *7 EUROS*, you get a tech shirt, a small flag from your home country to carry, a leisurely/untimed jog through closed city streets, and a continental-style breakfast at the end of the run. It was really well-done, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone running this race.
THE “MEH”
–The Paris Marathon’s gear check is located at the finish line, so that they don’t have to transport any gear during the race. It works well that you can get your gear shortly after you finish, but it’s a good mile from the starting line, so be prepared for a non-insignificant walk before you run a marathon.
THE BAD:
–Aid stations were located only every 5K, which is a departure from the frequency of aid stations at American races, and the only beverage available was bottled water. There was no sports drink at any of the aid stations. This isn’t even close to a dealbreaker, and I knew this coming in, but you’ll want to make sure that you have GUs / salt tabs / electrolyte tabs on your person. It got quite warm on race day, with temperatures reaching the 70s, and I wilted a bit at the end. Extra aid stations in the 2nd half of the race would have been very welcome.
OVERALL IMPRESSION: This race was incredible, maybe my favorite behind Chicago and New York. I’d put Paris in the same tier as Big Sur and ahead of Berlin, this race deserves a spot on anyone’s running bucket list.
Paris in springtime!
If you're looking for a marathon to run in Europe, Paris is an awesome place to start. The race takes place in the springtime, which is when the flowers are … MORE
If you’re looking for a marathon to run in Europe, Paris is an awesome place to start. The race takes place in the springtime, which is when the flowers are blooming in Paris and the weather is generally pretty nice. You’ll feel the energy of this big city marathon at the Expo and Pasta Dinner, where runners from around the world congregate and fuel up for the big day.
It’s an impressive sight with 30,000+ runners lining up on the famous Champs Elysees on the morning of the marathon with the Arc de Triomphe prominently displayed in the background. The Paris Marathon has a relatively flat course that takes you through the heart of the city and past several of its most well-known landmarks, including the Louvre, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe… with a good amount of time running right along the banks of the River Seine. The crowd support was quite good the year I ran it, and you’ll hear the chant “Allez! Allez!” many times as you weave through the city streets.
Paris is definitely a marathon I’d do again… and the best part is indulging on the Nutella covered crepes after the race is over, which can be found all around the city 🙂