Paris Marathon

The Paris Marathon or Shneider Electric Marathon de Paris is an annual marathon of 42.195 km, in which more than 40 thousand runners from among professionals and amateurs take part.

History of the Paris Marathon

The Paris Marathon was officially launched in 1976, but its predecessor is the 40 km Tour de Paris Marathon, whose history dates back to 1896. In 1921, the new standard for marathons was 42.195 km.

The modern marathon in the capital of France initially took place in the Bois de Boulogne, but three years after the first race, the city hall allowed the mass sporting event to be held on the city streets. If in the 80s no more than a few hundred marathon runners gathered for the start, now the number of participants varies from 40 to 65 thousand.

Paris Marathon Route

The marathon route runs through many of the city’s famous streets and squares. The race starts at the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees and ends at the Place de la Concorde. Participants run along the Rue de Rivoli, cross the Place de la Bastille and run past the green areas of the Bois de Vincennes, and also have the opportunity to see Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower.

Every 5 kilometers along the streets of the Seine River there are refreshment stations where volunteers offer water, fresh fruit and sugar. The first 31 kilometers of the route are quite easy, but then the climb begins. It is from this section that many marathon runners begin to lose speed.

The route completion time limit is 6 hours.

When is the Paris Marathon held?

Traditionally, the Paris Marathon is held on one of the Sundays in April. Throughout its history, it was cancelled in 1991 due to the Gulf War and in 2020 due to the coronavirus. Initially, the organizers did not want to cancel the event and moved it to autumn, but due to the worsening situation with the pandemic, the idea failed. In 2024, the Paris Marathon will be held on April 7.

How to get to the Paris Marathon?

Registration for the Paris Marathon, unlike the “Big Six” (London, Tokyo, Boston, New York, Berlin, Chicago), is free and there is no lottery. Absolutely anyone can take part, regardless of citizenship.

General requirements: a medical certificate excluding any contraindications to the marathon race, age 20 years and older. In addition, you must have time to submit an application at the registration window. There are always more applicants than actual places.

Registration is carried out on the official websitewww.schneiderelectricparismarathon.comand opens in April each year for the following year’s marathon. The entry fee varies from 150 to 360 euros. It all depends on when exactly the application is submitted. The earlier the registration is made, the lower the entry fee. It is not refundable after the participant receives the corresponding notification of confirmation of participation.

It is possible to purchase more expensive purchases, as well as tours from approved tour operators. The list of agencies is presented in the relevant sectionschneiderelectricparismarathon.com/en/registration/tour-operators.

On the official website of the Paris Marathon registrar, you can book accommodation and other additional services. You should carefully study the package of additional services, many of which can be quite useful in a particular situation.

All the winners of the Paris Marathon

The table lists all the winners of the Paris Marathon among men and women. It should be noted that women began to take part in the race in 1978.