All the essential information on one of the most popular Parisian sporting events.

And don’t think that you have to live in France to run; last year’s figures show that nearly a third of all participants come from abroad…



The Paris Marathon is your chance to prove to everyone that, er, you can run a long way without stopping. And that you can get up early: it starts from the top of the Champs Elysees at 8.45am (8.35am for wheelchair participants) and most people take around 4-5 hours to finish (even if one in four don’t ever get to the finishing line: that’s over 8,000 people who drop out!).

Everyone who finishes get a medal at the finish line and later receives a DVD and diploma by post.

The event is taken very seriously, with colour-coded bibs given out depending on the time you expect to take to do the circuit, and special microchips that you must attach to yourself to clock your time during the route, make sure you don’t take a shortcut (!), and time your arrival exactly.

Here’s the route. You can also check out a very handy Google maps version here with all the details of all refreshment points, etc.

As testament to the marathon’s popularity, there are also a whole load of marathon-related events in Paris around the time of the event:

Firstly, there’s the Half-Marathon for those (like me) think that 26 miles and 385 yards is just too far. The Half-Marathon is held on a different date, 2nd March 2008.

As part of the main marathon on 6th April, there is a team challenge for companies. The idea is obviously to come first (Reebok have won for the last three years, although they still haven’t beaten the fastest collective time recorded by the Paris firemen in 2003), but there’s also a push to see which company can register the most participants. Last year, it was the state-owned natural gas company, with 462 people running!

Then there’s the Breakfast Run, also known as the Unesco Run, which is held on Saturday 5th April at 8.30am outside the UNESCO building. Participation is free for anyone registered for the full marathon, with 4,000-5,000 people expected to run a short 5km route through some of the more genteel parts of the capital. Free breakfast is served afterwards!

Marathon Expo is a free trade fair open to everyone, with lots of information and stalls regarding the marathon. All marathon participants are obliged to go in order to pick up up their bib and microchip, without which they cannot compete. Marathon expo is also where the Pasta-Party happens! Each runner gets two invites so he/she and a friend can chow down on nourishing pasta to build up strength before the event. Serving starts at 3pm on Saturday 5th April!

Here’s all the essential information:

When: Sunday 6th April 2008 (Half-Marathon on 2nd March 2008)
Where: Starts off from the Champs Elysees
What time: 8.35am for wheelchair participants, 8.45 for everyone else
Where do I pick up my bib and microchip? Marathon Expo, Hall 5 – Porte de Versailles, 15th arrondissement. Open Thursday 3rd April (3pm-8pm), Friday 4th April (10am-8pm), Saturday 5th April (9am-8pm)
Where does the marathon finish? Avenue Foch (not far from the start point)
How much does it cost to participate? The sooner you register, the cheaper it is. 53 euros before 20th October, then 70 euros until the end of November. After that, the full price is 85 euros
How many people will be running? 35,000. Best enroll quickly to make sure you get a place
How do I enroll? Most people use the online form provided on the official site. You can pay securely online as well. If you don’t want to give your credit card details you can always print up the PDF form and send it in by snail mail.
Do I need a medical certificate? Yes, it’s obligatory
What if I have to cancel before the event? There’s an optional 8 euros insurance fee thatyou can pay during inscription that will refund your money in case of “an accident, a serious illness or death”
Do I have to go to that Pasta-Party thing? Lord no. Sounds dodgy doesn’t it? You do however have to go to the Marathon Expo to pick up your stuff, so if you’re feeling peckish that Saturday you may not be able to resist.

More information about the event on the official site here. Good luck. Don’t forget to breathe… 😉

Still reading this ‘marathon’ post? Then here’s a bonus for you! At last year’s Paris Marathon, someone interviewed as many English-speaking participants as possible before the race. It’s quite sweet, and slightly funny in a Borat kind of way. He also shows us some of the strange characters that take part, such as the man on stilts, and the topless man dressed as a Hawaiian hula boy! Enjoy!