the marathon route unveiled, 42 km between Paris and Versailles

The marathon version of Paris-Versailles! The 2024 Paris Olympics marathon will take part of the route of the famous race and in particular the formidable Côte des Gardes in Meudon, at the gates of Paris. The course was unveiled on Wednesday by the Organizing Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. A round trip of 42.195 km between Paris and Versailles.

The start of the marathonwhich will take place the last weekend of the Olympic Games (August 10, 2024 for men, August 11 for women), will be given in front of the forecourt of the Paris City Hall. The 160 runners (80 men and 80 women) will notably pass through Le Louvre, Place de la Concorde, the cities of Boulogne-Billancourt, Sèvres, Ville d’Avray before reaching Versailles. They will then return to Paris via Viroflay, Chaville, Meudon and Issy-les-Moulineaux before passing at the foot of the Eiffel Tower to finish on the Esplanade des Invalides.

A journey that resonates with history since it follows the route of “The Women’s March” of October 5 and 6, 1789. It was the choice of Aurélie Merle, director of sports competitions at Paris 2024. “About 6,000 to 7,000 women gathered at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris to demand bread and arms. And they marched to Versailles to see the king and succeeded in getting him to sign the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen”she recalls.

Sportingly, the race promises to be difficult, warns Alain Blondel, head of athletics at Paris 2024. “We start from 34 meters above sea level to go up to a high point of 183 meters in the 20th km. And the second big difficulty is the ascent of the Pavé des Gardes coast which will last 900 meters with passages between 11 and 13.5%”.

A marathon open to the general public

And for the first time, the marathon will be open to everyone. Or more precisely to 20,024 amateur runners who will take the same route as the athletes. A 10 km race will also be organized on part of the route.

To try to win your bib, several possibilities : joining Le Club Paris 2024 which offers at least 2 “challenges per month”, downloading the “Marathon pour tous” application or taking part in partner races organized throughout France in towns with the “land of Games” label. In the last months preceding the Olympic Games, the last bibs will be drawn by lot.