Here’s What You Need to Know About the Paris Marathon – runnersworld.com

While American distance runners tend to associate this time of year with the Boston Marathon and London Marathon, there’s another major race brewing across the Atlantic this month. On Sunday, April 14, around 55,000 runners will participate in the Paris Marathon, a 26.2-mile tour of the French city that starts and finishes near the city’s iconic Arc de Triomphe.

Here, we’re discussing the Paris Marathon course, who to watch for in this year’s elite men’s and women’s races, and how to stream the event if you can’t post up near the Eiffel Tower on race day (alas, c’est la vie).

The Course

Though the hugely populated marathon in Paris is about the same field size as New York City, the French race offers a much flatter, faster course than the Big Apple. After starting near the Arc de Triomphe, runners continue down Champs-Elysées Avenue, then wind past landmarks like the Louvre museum (mile 2), Place de la Bastille (mile 4), and the Château de Vincennes (mile 8).

From miles 7 through 12, participants spin through the storybook gardens of Bois De Vincennes, then head toward the Seine River, which they will ultimately follow back to the finish line. Along the water, runners catch glimpses of the Musée d’Orsay and Notre-Dame Cathedral (miles 15 and 16), and the Eiffel Tower (mile 19).

The route is mostly flat through the city streets—which are completely blocked off for the race—except for a steep incline around the 20-mile mark. The last four miles of the marathon travel through the lush Bois De Boulogne park, ending in a huge celebration near the Arc de Triomphe.

Who to Watch in Paris

While the marathons in Boston and London often attract the top talent in distance running, the Paris Marathon historically produces fast finish times, too. Last year, Paul Lonyangata of Kenya, who’s now 26, became Paris’s first back-to-back winner in 28 years, breaking the tape for his second year in a row in 2:06:25.

Lonyangata led an all-Kenyan podium sweep in 2018, with Mathew Kisorio finishing runner-up in 2:06:36 and Ernest Ngeno coming in 3rd in 2:06:41. After battling a knee injury last fall that prevented him from running in Chicago, Lonyangata plans to go for his third straight title at Paris this spring, according to Xinhuanet News.

This year’s women’s race will be led by Kenya’s Sally Chepyego, who holds a 2:23:15 marathon personal best and clocked a 1:08:30 in the Barcelona Half Marathon this past February. She’ll be challenged by Ethiopian runners Azmera Gebru, who’s run 2:23:31, and 2:23:37 marathoner Tinbit Gidey. The 2018 women’s champion, Olympian Betsy Saina of Kenya, won’t be returning this year, as she’s competing in Boston.

How to Watch the Race

If you live in the U.S., the best way to watch the Paris Marathon is to stream it via Flotrack, which requires a monthly subscription starting at $12.49.