The Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon course promises to be one of the most challenging routes in Olympic history…and maybe in marathon history in general.
Set against the iconic backdrop of Paris and Versailles, this marathon will not only set the stage for the world’s best runners to go head-to-head but also pay tribute to significant moments in French history.
The course features steep inclines, demanding descents, and a path that traces the footsteps of French history. Here’s a detailed look at what the athletes—and spectators—can expect.
A Historic Route Through Paris and Versailles
The marathon begins at the Hôtel de Ville, the city hall of Paris. Runners then head out on a tour of Paris, passing some of the city’s most iconic landmarks, including the Palais Garnier Opera House, Place Vendôme, and the Louvre Museum. The route then takes the runners past the Trocadéro, offering a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower as they leave the city center.
As the runners move away from Paris, they will go through the historic towns of Sèvres and Ville d’Avray before reaching the Palace of Versailles. After the runners leave Versailles, they will return to Paris through the Forêt Domaniale de Meudon, a dense forest that will offer a brief respite from the urban landscape.
The final stretch of the marathon will take place on the Left Bank of the Seine, passing through Parisian neighborhoods and past the Eiffel Tower once again before finishing at the Esplanade des Invalides, where Napoleon Bonaparte is entombed.
The Course: Harder Than Boston?
The Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon course is not for the faint-hearted. Unlike recent Olympic marathons that featured flat, looped courses, this marathon presents a significant challenge with its varied terrain and elevation changes.
The route’s elevation gain of 1,430 feet (436 meters) is almost double that of the hilliest World Marathon Majors, such as Boston and New York City, which both feature around 800 feet of elevation gain.
The first significant challenge comes just before the 10-mile mark, where runners will encounter a steep climb with a 4% grade that lasts for about 1.25 miles. This is followed by an even steeper climb at the 12-mile mark, with a 5% grade over 900 meters.
However, these hills are just a prelude to the main challenge of the course: a brutal climb just after the 18-mile mark, where the gradient reaches a punishing 10.5% over 600 meters.
The course also includes a total descent of 1,437 feet (438 meters), which may prove to be just as challenging as the climbs.
After the final uphill section, runners will have to navigate a sharp descent with a gradient of up to -13.5%. This downhill portion will require careful pacing and control, as excessive pounding on the quads could lead to fatigue and muscle damage before the final flat stretch to the finish line.
Eliud Kipchoge: The Quest for a Historic Third Gold
Among the elite runners taking on this challenging course, all eyes will be on Eliud Kipchoge, the Kenyan marathoner widely regarded as the greatest of all time.
At 39 years old, Kipchoge is aiming to make history by becoming the first person to win three consecutive Olympic marathon titles. His victories in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 have already cemented his legacy, but a win in Paris would put him in a league of his own.
Kipchoge is no stranger to challenging conditions, but even he acknowledges the difficulty of the Paris course. “The course is really tough – about 40% is really hilly – and I think the temperature will contribute a lot,” Kipchoge told BBC Sport Africa. “Even by eight, nine, 10, in the morning, I think it will go up to 30 degrees. It is tough to run a full marathon [in] 30 degrees. It will take a lot of time for us to climatize, to prepare the mind to go through that tough temperature on the course.”
The marathon is scheduled to start at 8:00 AM local time to avoid the worst of the day’s heat, but temperatures are still expected to rise to 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) by late morning, adding another layer of difficulty to an already challenging race.
In preparation for the race, Kipchoge says he has altered his training to focus on hill work and running in high temperatures. He has been training at his base in Kaptagat, Kenya, often scheduling runs during the hottest part of the day to acclimate his body to the conditions he will face in Paris.
“I will keep in my mind about running the hilly course and try to do some runs [in] high temperatures to conduce my body towards Paris,” he explained in an interview during his preparations. Sometimes timing to train maybe at 10 am, 11 am to feel that heat,” he said to BBC, “It will depend on the day because it might be a faster marathon, it might be slow. But [at the] Olympics, we don’t consider time.”
The Women’s Marathon: A Historic First
The women’s marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics will be especially significant, as it will be the first time in Olympic history that the women’s marathon is held on the final day of the Games, closing out the competition. According to Olympic organizers, this decision was a tribute to the long struggle women have faced in gaining acceptance and recognition in long-distance running.
The race will feature some of the best female marathoners in the world, including newly ratified world record holder Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Peres Jepchirchir, and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.
The First-Ever Mass Participation Marathon
For those inspired by the Olympic marathon, the Marathon Pour Tous offers a unique opportunity to experience the same course as the elite athletes.
Held on the evening of August 10, this mass participation event will see 20,024 runners take to the streets of Paris, starting at 10:00 PM local time. This race, along with a 10K event held later that night, allows everyday runners to trace the steps of Olympians and experience the challenges of the course firsthand.
Kipchoge himself has been involved in promoting this event, saying to BBC, “The International Olympic Committee made a good decision to include the fans and give them their time to run through the course. It will be the first marathon for normal people to run as Olympians, although they will not consider them as Olympians. But they will give them a chance to run to celebrate humanity and the Olympics. It’s really important because we are going to the Olympics because of the fans, and fans are there because of us. So it’s a mutual interest.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Marathon is shaping up to be one of the most challenging and memorable in the Games’ history. With its demanding course, stacked men’s and women’s fields, and potential for historic achievements, it will undoubtedly be a race that tests the limits of the athletes and leaves us on the edge of our seats.
