Everything to Know for the Paris Marathon

The Paris Marathon is easily one of the most beautiful races in Europe. The course takes runners past the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Palais Garnier, and countless other famous landmarks. I highly recommend this race for first time marathoners, or anyone looking for a beautiful view while running.

Expo Location: Parc des Expositions – Porte de Versailles

Expo Dates: April 10th to 12th. I recommend going to the expo on the 10th, as on the later days the lines will become several hours long. It is also not possible to pick-up your bib on race day, so please plan your arrival to Paris with a buffer in case of flight delays.

Marathon start: Arc de Triomphe

Bag drop: Av. Foch – I recommend taking the metro to Av. Foch rather than the Arc de Triomphe, as the walk between the two does take 5-10 minutes.

The starts for this race are spread out over several hours. You do not need to be there at the start of the race, just in time for your starting block. The race will give you a suggested arrival time. Within your block it can still take up to 30 minutes to reach the start, as they release a wave of roughly 500 runners every few minutes.

Paris Marathon Review

Paris Marathon was my first ever marathon, after having done 13 half marathons. For a first time marathoner, I loved the experience, the crowds and course were amazing. I share all my thoughts on this race in the review linked below.