Amazing landmarks, more than 49,000 runners and a perfect alternative to London
If you’re searching for a spring marathon to sign up for in 2020 – that isn’t London – then registration for the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon is now open to the public.
Now in its 44th year, the Paris Marathon is one of the largest and most popular marathons in the world. For many it acts as the perfect alternative to taking part in the London Marathon, both because of the scale of the event and the ease of travel to and from Paris for those living in the UK.
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The event, which takes place on 5 April 2020, also has the added benefit of no ballot system, so if you want to take part all you need to do is sign up and pay for it – no lengthy waits to find out whether or not you’ve got in. It’s first-come, first-served.
The 2019 event saw 49,155 runners head to the city to take on the 42.195km route, with 97.8% of those crossing the finish line. A year that also saw history being made with the first ever winner of the overall event being a female athlete – Gelete Burka with a time of 2:22:47.
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The race, which starts and finishes at the Arc de Triomphe, takes in some of the city’s most impressive landmarks including the Champs Elysées, the obelisk at Place de la Concorde, Place de la Bastille and Notre Dame Cathedral. It’s also, as you’d probably expect, one of the best marathons in the world for post-race celebrations.
Although it’s not exactly hilly, you will need to prepare for some elevation as a there are areas of the course which see a fair bit of undulation. Expect around 200-250 metres of elevation gain across the whole race. Not too bad, but noticeable when you’re making your way into the later stages of the race.
The event also holds the title of being the first carbon-neutral marathon in the world, with the 2019 event offsetting all carbon emissions generated by the race – estimated at 25,000 tonnes of CO2. 94% of which are the result of marathon runners traveling to Paris by plane or by car, with the remaining 6% coming from the logistics of the event.
Entry to the marathon costs from €110 with a number of additional options available. Click here to sign up.
