Each April, 40,000 runners from over 100 countries take to the Parisian streets in the annual Marathon de Paris. The Paris Marathon is one of the most famous marathons in the world, due in large part to the beautiful and historic setting of the race.
The Paris Marathon draws over 16,000 runners (over 40% of the participants) from outside of France, making it a true “tourist marathon.” (Benjamin Kiptoo from Kenya won the race in 2011, with a time of two hours and 6 seconds).
International runners are particularly impressed by the Paris Marathon food stations, which typically include wine, beer, cider and even oysters!
The 36th annual Marathon de Paris will take place on April 15, 2012. Registration for this popular event is currently sold out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t join in on the fun. If you can’t run it this year, you can always book cheap flights to Paris to join the thousands of spectators who line the route from the Champs-Elysées, past the Bois de Vincennes, and ends at the Bois de Boulogne, traversing Paris from West to East (and then back again).
Even if you don’t end up with a prime view of the runners, just being in Paris during this time is extremely exciting! You can feel the athletic prowess and competitive energy in the air.
During the three days leading up to the race, there is a “Running Expo” at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center (this year it will be held in Hall 4). Over 60,000 visitors and more than 200 professional exhibitors come together during this unforgettable event. The event is free and open to the public. However, the Paris Marathon organizers have asked that all who are interested in attending the expo take 30 seconds to register on the Marathon de Paris website.
CC Flickr photo credit: Eric Brechemier
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