How to Run a Full Marathon in Paris
Updated: Apr 21
Have you ever dreamed about running a full marathon in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, combining sport with travelling?
I did, and that's why I booked my slot to take part in the most beautiful running event - Schneider Electric Marathon De Paris, that occurred on 2 April 2023. Have a look at this marvellous map!
I started my preparation (having a strong base, being able to run 21 km with a decent pace and go for a walk afterwards) in December 2023, so 4 months before the event, running around 4-5 times per week, following the Garmin training plan that I use for my Garmin Fenix watches.
During my preparation, I had to stop running for around a month in mid-February due to a knee injury and started running again just 2 weeks before the marathon. I had a lot of doubts regarding whether I should cancel my trip to Paris and participate in the marathon, or go visit one of my favorite cities without running. I realised, that I could not just come to Paris being a tourist at the time when all the runners gathered together to complete the 42 km challenge, even a 93-year-old Charly would participate in this event!
Look at these pictures... Stay home and skip Paris? No way I could have skipped a trip to my favourite city. I decided to come to Paris and try to complete the race, with an option to stop in case of emergency.
So, the decision was taken - let's get started!
Porte de Versailles
Every marathon starts with the race number retrieval - for Paris Marathon, is organised in the Parc des Expositions - Porte de Versailles, located in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. As we arrived in the city on Friday evening, we didn't have a chance to come to pick up my race number that day, and postponed it to Saturday morning - the busiest time, as most of the participants also come on Saturday.
The Expo is a very nice event: once you pick up your number, you can try the latest models of running gear provided by various brands. There are plenty of stands to discover, from well-known Adidas to relatively new niche brands such as On Running.
Enjoying Saturday in Paris
Once we were done with picking up the number and trying the best models of running shoes, we left the crowded Expo and had a fast lunch at one of the traiteurs asiatiques (asian bistros) in the 15th arrondissement (in our case it was Traiteur Jin), before we went for a walk in the city centre.
We decided to go to the 1st arrondissement, to Jardin des Tuileries, which is located between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde. It's one of the most well-known and beautiful gardens in the city, perfect for a relaxing walk admiring the statues and fountains and getting mentally prepared for the next day's 42 km adventure.
After spending a nice relaxing time in the garden, we reached the Louvre and continued our walk along the river Seine - to have a cup of coffee at Motors Coffee - a marvellous coffee shop serving high-quality freshly brewed coffee. A cup of cappuccino in the afternoon in such a cosy place - what could be better?
We continued walking along the Seine and turned back when we reached the Notre Dame de Paris: I had already more than enough steps for the day before the marathon. We decided to stop for an Apero at L'Amphi bar close to Chatelet station (a decent place, but nothing extraordinary), and then had a challenge to find a table in an Italian restaurant nearby without a reservation (there is no better dinner before a marathon than a pasta dish).
We managed to get one in a place called Casanova - we liked the atmosphere of this place, but the food was rather mediocre, so I doubt we will ever come back. It's better to book a table in advance, especially in Paris - to avoid the risk of having an average dinner for above average price.
After dinner, we returned to our hotel (we decided to stay in Nanterre, as it was a good deal for price-quality-proximity to the Arc de Triomphe, where the marathon starts), prepared everything for a race and tried to have a good rest before the Day X.
My marathon equipment (it must be super boring for non-runners, but something that amateur runners might like to see) are basic running t-shirt and shorts with a lot of pockets to store all my 7 gels (out of which I used 5). Energy gels GU are my favourite, and SIS I took as they have a huge advantage of not requiring any water after the consumption to start working. It saved me at the end of the distance when I needed an urgent supply of energy in between water spots.
Shokz bone conduction headphones - my favourites for all sports activities: they allow you to listen to music / talk to your friends with your ears open, which is super important for safety reasons. My running shoes were Asics Gel Nimbus 24 - my favourite pair at that time, they are indeed excellent for long-distance running.
Paris Marathon 2023
Marathon morning. My target time was 4h 15 min (even though I knew that my goal would be just to finish, with the best case scenario - under 5 hours), and it allowed me some time to sleep, as the start time for my grey zone was at 10:32.
Finally, we arrived at the starting point, and I spent 10-15 minutes trying not to get cold in +10 wearing shorts and a t-shirt and not going mad doubting my own decision to participate despite having an injury.
We started! Yahoo! The challenge was to follow my 6:40 min/km pace and not to hurry up too much together with the crowd. Beautiful, breathtaking views of car-free Paris - would you need another reason to spend a few months to get prepared for the 42 km challenge?
The first 5 km were amazing: I was super happy to participate in such a huge running event and almost forgot about my fears and concerns. We started running on Avenue de Champs-Elysées and reached the Place de Concord in a few minutes.
After Concorde, we continued running in the 1st arrondissement, had a chance to observe a lovely Jardin des Tuileries, passed the Place Vendôme, reached the Palais Garnier and continued towards the Louvre.
After 3rd km - my favourite Tour Saint-Jacques, a tall Gothic tower, and soon we entered the chic Marais neighbourhood. 5 km - Place de la Bastille and July Column commemorating the destruction of the Bastille prison during the French Revolution.
Then we continued towards the Bois de Vincennes, and the most challenging part of my 42 km started there: around 13-14 km I realised that I had strong knee pain (after accelerating for about 2-3 km for absolutely no reason), and I thought I would have to finish my race soon. I decided to give myself another chance though: decreased my speed significantly, took a painkiller, and in 20 minutes realised that the pain was gone and I could continue running normally.
Semi-marathon mark was when we left the Bois de Vincennes and when I realised that half of the distance was already behind, I had a strong feeling that I was capable of finishing the whole distance despite the pain in my knee. Then we continued running back to the Bastille, and I saw there something incredible.
Look at this man running 42 km despite having only 1 leg! Observing people like this gives you energy and forces you to forget about your groundless fears and doubts. Everything is possible, in every circumstance, if you really want something and work hard to achieve it - your success depends on your motivation and the enormous efforts you put in to achieve your goals.
The part starting from around 22 to 32 km was the most beautiful one: myself and other runners had a chance to observe the bank of the river Seine, enjoy amazing views of Île de la Cité, Pont-Neuf and then - to the Tour d'Eiffel.
Then we entered the 16th arrondissement and for around 8-9 km we were running in the Bois de Bologne. I didn't manage to take photos at all in the Bois de Bologne: like most runners, I was struggling to avoid the marathon wall, and when I realised I had the strength to run faster, I concentrated mostly on the running part, decided not to spend time taking photos.
The last 200 meters of running on Avenue Foch, and finally - the Finishing Line. Finisher's t-shirt, an amazing medal, and a sense of accomplishment, followed by a thought: "That's it, really? I want to run more".
It was an amazing experience to run 42km in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Overall, the event was well-organised, people on the streets were super friendly, cheering all the runners non-stop, and the atmosphere was amazing.
It's not my first full marathon, but the first one I enjoyed, and I hope I will come back to the streets of Paris running another version of the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris, aiming to set my other personal best.
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