Preparation > Your weekend in Paris

Your Marathon weekend in Paris - so as not to leave anything to chance!

Your very first appointment in Paris is the Marathon Expo. Each and every one of you 35,000 entrants is obliged to come through here in order to collect your competitor number (competitor’s number) for the race, which will also give you the opportunity to have a look at the services and products presented by our partners.

In order to collect your bib and your gift bag from Marathon Expo you must present some ID and your confirmation of entry in the race.
If you have not yet presented your medical certificate (information to be checked on the runners’ list), do not forget to bring it with you.

You will also be given a special Reebok encouragement competitor number, with your Christian name on it. It is imperative that you wear this second competitor number on your back. It should not interfere with the visibility of the race competitor number. This competitor number should be put into a special Reebok collection urn at the finish line. After a draw, you may well find that you are the lucky winner of a trip for 2 to attend the World Indoor in Valencia, Spain in March 2008 as well as 2 bibs for Paris Marathon 2008.

In your race entry bag you will find an entry ticket for 2 people to the Pasta Party, which will be held on the Saturday from 15:00 to 20:00.

Having dealt with all of these formalities, you will then enter the official Reebok shop, offering the full range of technical products, clothing, shoes and various items in the Paris Marathon colours.
After passing through the official shop, you will see our partners’ sites as well as the race stands and the stands of the companies present. If you have not already done so on the Internet, then make sure you pass by the Gaz de France stand to enter yourself on the SMS system. The Caisse d’Epargne stand is also giving away a pacing bracelet so that you can organise your race properly.

Before leaving Marathon Expo, don’t forget to have a go at the Concours Déco game which allows you, whilst voting for your favourite stand, to participate in a draw where you could win a trip for 2 to China!

On the Saturday morning, we shall be very happy to welcome you to jog along in the “Breakfast Race”. This activity (a mild 5km course) is on offer not only to all those entered for the Paris Marathon but also to non-marathon runners as well.

After a last meal consisting mainly of pasta, and a good night’s sleep, you will have to get to the Place de l’Étoile for the start of the Marathon.
You will have a free locker made available to you from 07:00 to 08:30 on the Avenue Foch. You may leave a bag here, so that you can change after the race.

Warning: it is imperative that your competitor number be clearly visible (on your chest) along the entire course of the race in order to obtain refreshments, to be given assistance by the emergency services in case of a problem, and so that your photos will be easily identifiable.

We would advise you to enter the starting line-up grid before 08:20 in order to avoid any scramble. For your comfort, you have waste bins as well as toilets available inside these starting line-up grids.

The pace setters sponsored by Epargne and Jogging International will take up their positions at your side in the various starting line-up grids and will accompany you during the entire race, giving you precious advice. Getting to the finish line is simple: all you need to do is follow the ideal line (blue) or, for the faster ones amongst you, the Alfa 159.

The refreshments, set out at 5km intervals, consist of bananas from Guadeloupe and Martinique (8,500kg + 30,000 at the finish line), oranges (14,250kg + 30,000 at the finish line), water (400,000 bottles), dried fruits (2,000kg) and Monoprix sugar cubes (2,000kg).
You will also find energy drinks (Powerade Aqua +) at the 10, 20, 25, 30, 35 km markers. For your comfort during the trial, there will be toilets set up at regular intervals at the refreshment stops.

After you have crossed the finishing line, teams of volunteers will be there to give you your souvenir medal, a poncho and complete provisioning.
You will also have the opportunity of being given a massage by one of the physiotherapy students being sponsored by VoltarenActigo from Novartis, as well as any medical aid that you may require, by teams of Red Cross personnel.

After that, it will be time for you to collect your bag from the changing rooms and to rejoin your loved ones. A number of meeting places will be set up around the finish line area (marked out from A to Z) to facilitate these reunions.

The race results will be published on the www.parismarathon.com Internet site, from Sunday afternoon onwards.
For the very first time, you will also have the opportunity of replying directly online to the satisfaction questionnaire, which allows us to make improvements in the organisation of the marathon each year.

A certificate will be sent to each of the finishers (during the course of May), as well as an exclusive DVD recording of this 31st Paris Marathon.