Edito
You have done it!
Maybe today you are thinking that running 42.195km is not so difficult after all. Remember however the stage fright that increased as you approached April 15. Running a marathon, whether you are a beginner or an old-timer, is not a joke.
Running 42.195km is always an adventure, especially in Paris where the beauty of the course offers a mixture of experiences. The effort is the same as elsewhere, but it’s accompanied by a visit of some of the most important sites of the city of light. Of course, this is one of the reasons that the Marathon de Paris is an important stop for runners of all levels and nationalities.
Congratulations to the thousands of finishers who crowded the pavement and beat the cobblestones of the capital with enthusiasm and perseverance. A big bravo for joining up with the ever-growing family of women and men that have faced the challenge of running 42.195km and who have pushed their limits to win the right to wear the 36th Marathon de Paris medal around their neck.
You have done it. You followed a training plan for many weeks (and maybe many months), and your training has paid off. You changed some of your eating habits, slept more, and saw your friends less. Preparing a marathon often means sacrifice. In consequence, the after race period should allow certain pleasures, small and large.
Be careful to not unnecessarily prolong your recuperation period. We advise for you to quickly fix your next objective. Why not a trail run in May at Oxygen Challenge or a 10k in June at "10Km L'Equipe" ? Don’t let the spring get away from you, even if (and especially if) you now think running 42.195km is not that hard. You are a marathon runner, and a marathoner runs!
Your journey begins here!
The festivities begin on Thursday, April 12 at 3:00pm. Before running the streets of Paris, you can visit Running Expo, the biggest running fair in France. At Running Expo, you will pick up your number. You can also come with your friends and family to soak up a little bit of the international pre-marathon ambiance.
Entry to Running Expo is free and open to all. To get to know you better and to better our fair, we are asking visitors that are coming alone or with one of the participants to print and fill out a short questionnaire (click here). This questionnaire allows non-participant visitors free entry to the Running Expo and participation in a lottery drawing, the "Running Follies."
One of the new additions to the 2012 Running Expo is a prize drawing that will take place every hour on Thursday and Friday. Maybe you will win a week-long trip to Mauritius, Peking, or Marrakesh!
There are numerous prizes that will be given during Running Follies: a variety of ASICS products (ASICS is a partner of the Marathon de Paris), as well as numbers for various races organized in France and elsewhere.
As in previous years, Running Expo welcomes more than 200 exhibitors. Take the time to discover new products and gather information on various marathons during these three days of running celebration in the capital.
You will find a lot of animations on the expo! You will enjoy advice and conferences around the proposed running in the corner "Running Experience". For the greedy, culinary workshops will be led by master chefs of the show Top Chef, they will cook recipes specially designed for Running Expo 2012!
The Rice Party will also be honored on 13 and 14 April : Bring your loved ones enjoy rice recipes proposed by Uncle Ben's!
On April 15, you will be among close to 40,000 participants to cross the start line on the Champs-Elysées. To all runners coming from other French areas or from abroad, we hope that you take advantage of your time in the "city of light", but be careful to reserve some energy. A long journey is ahead of you…
Running Expo
Thursday, April 12, from 3:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, April 13, from 10:00am-8:00pm
Saturday, April 14, from 2:00pm-8:00pm
Parc des Expositions, Porte de Versailles
Hall #4. 75015 Paris
Metro Station, Porte de Versailles, Line 12
The big day, it’s (almost) here!
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The approach of a marathon always brings a certain amount of stage fright; for novices of course, but also for experienced runners that have already accomplished the legendary distance.
It’s easy to lose track of your reference points and basic fundamental principles that you have worked on in the months leading up to the big day. Nutrition, logistics, and training are all subject to debate!
To help you accomplish your last weeks of preparation in the best conditions and to bring you towards April 15 without too much stage fright, we are now proposing an “Info of the Day,” concise, simple, and clear tips and information that may help you in your preparation.
Our goal is to bring you to the starting line in the best conditions.
Running 42.195km is an adventure, especially in Paris. The city of light will welcome 40,000 runners. Take advantage of the city. For those who would like to make their marathon a cultural adventure as well as an athletic one, Jiwok proposes audio programs (format MP3) that will guide you during your race.
A professional coach delivers guidance to help you reach your programmed goal while announcing the capital’s most important points of interest along the race. Downloading Jiwo is free. Click
here.
The 36th edition of the Marathon de Paris is calling. You’ll need to give a bit more effort in concentration and have lots of rest before the start on the Champs Elysées. For your last bits of tuning and to fill up on the right sensations, we invite you to a training session between other marathon runners. All of the information can be found on the
Facebook page of the Marathon de Paris. The period leading up to the start is important. In your head, as well as in your legs, relax. The most difficult part is behind you!
Paris Marathon is on Twitter : join us
@MarathonParis with official hashtag
#MDP12
The homestretch
It’s too late to hesitate. The Marathon de Paris is almost here. Running 42.195km in the streets of the City of Light is an exceptional experience. All along the course, you will discover Paris in a new way and get to know the world’s most visited city otherwise.
On April 15, you will be among 40,000 participants at the start line on the Champs-Elysées. This year we are inaugurating a new system to increase the comfort and security of all.
The last six sections will be divided in groups along the width of the course and opened one side at a time in a random manner to limit the amount of runners starting at the same time. With the new chronometric system integrated in the numbers, no one will be forgotten, all competitors will be timed from the moment they cross the start line.
From the p’tit déj race to Marathoon’s, participate in all of the activities offered by the Marathon de Paris
The Marathon de Paris is more than just a marathon!
Running Expo, the largest village in France dedicated to running, welcomes competitors and visitors from Thursday to Saturday. This year we are opening a children’s section which will offer creative games and propose healthy and balanced food by a sports association, “Bien Manger, C’est bien Jouer” (To eat well is to Play Well).
Younger visitors (5-10 years old) will also be able to participate in our first Marathoon’s. Come to Avenue Foch on Saturday April 14 at 10:00AM for a 1.6km promenade. On the program: a musical warm-up, make-up stands, clowns, majorettes, and Mickey in his Mickey car!
A little earlier on Saturday April 14, the traditional p’tit déj race will start at 9:00AM at the Ecole Militaire in the 7th arrondissement.
This 5km run offers a convivial moment in a sleeping Paris. It’s also a great occasion to meet some of the leaders that will mark the tempo among hundreds of runners the following day during the marathon. At the arrival at Avenue Foch, a breakfast will be offered.
You only have a bit longer than a month to wait before the 2012 edition of the Marathon de Paris. We hope you finish the last phase of your training in the best conditions, and we encourage you to fill up on as much energy as possible.
Paris is waiting for you!
Running Expo, party before the party!
On April 15 close to 40,000 runners will attack their Parisian 42.195km starting on the Champs Elysées. No other marathon in the world can claim such a majestic departure. Running in Paris in April, what a wonderfully optimistic way to celebrate the return of spring!
This year again, the running celebration will begin well before the start of France’s largest mass race which takes off at 8:45 (8:35 for the disabled participants).
As of Thursday at 15:00, the Running Expo will welcome runners who come to pick up their numbers, but also their friends and family and all visitors that would like a taste of the friendly ambiance of the biggest running fair in France.
A number of prizes will be offered to the Running Expo visitors on Thursday and Friday
Entrance to the Running Expo, situated at the Porte de Versailles (Hall 4), is free but we are asking visitors and guests to register on the
Marathon de Paris website beforehand .
30 seconds suffice to validate your printable invitation which you will leave at the entrance to Running Expo.
This invitation allows you to participate in the drawings that will take place every hour Thursday (from 15:00-20:00) and Friday (from 10:00-20:00). There will be a number of prizes offered. For those registered in the race, application for the drawing is automatic and entry registration is unnecessary on the website.
3000 volunteers help out with the Marathon de Paris. Why don’t you participate in the adventure?
As with all big international races, Paris counts on thousands of volunteers to help guarantee the control and security of the athletes. They will be present at the Running Expo, the “Course du P’tit Déj”, food and drink stands, and the baggage check. There will be 3000 volunteers, not always visible, but always indispensable.
The 3 000 committed volunteers give their time allowing others to commit to their race in the best conditions. We kindly invite you to taste the experience of this necessary volunteer work and particularly incite runners and ex-runners to live the Marathon de Paris from backstage.
All information is available on the
explanation page. Running is an individual sport, but not a selfish sport. Prove it by joining your forces and energy with thousands of other volunteers!
The year for all sports
It's impossible to escape the resolution ritual for the new year! One is driven to believe that the calendar alone is responsible for making decisions and creating new habits: stop smoking, eating a more well-balanced diet, and of course doing more sports. At least a little bit...
Endurance sports athletes often have ambitious dreams. Their new year's resolutions can concern real new challenges; whether it be to run a marathon, to participate in a trail run, or to line up at the departure of a bike race on the road or in nature. Signing up can be the beginning of a project. The endurance sport family proves that by training for months (to be ready for the big day), it is not the end of the world if one doesn't reach all resolutions made at the beginning of the year. They want to live their dream, and do so by giving themselves the means to accomplish them!
2012 will be a year for sports, the year for all sports. We will contribute by offering a choice of challenges for all sensibilities and all types of pratices. Running: Semi and Marathon de Paris, 10k L'Equipe, as well as the Barcelona Semi and Marathon.
Nearly 100,000 competitors will participate in these springtime competitions, proof that competitive running is seducing more and more followers.
For the thousands of bikers that wish to test themselves on some of the most difficult courses, we offer two choices traced on the Tour de France 2012 course. Many of the largest mountain passes of the Alps and the Pyrenees will be visited.
July will be hot under the helmets! But before that, in April, two classics- Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège- are offered to distance riders. It's unneccessary to mention that the candidates for these April exploits should be particularly conscientious during their winter training.
Outdoor sport athletes are also more numerous to participate in the events that we offer this year:
Firstly, the Oxygen Challenge, which is conceived for VTT and trail runners. Many competitions are on the programme. Certain are accessible to all, others are more selective.
Then the Roc d’Azur, a cult gathering for VTT athletes of all levels, which continues to grow since it's creation almost 30 years ago.
A year of sports for all: young and old, men and women, beginners and experts.
All reunited in 2012 by a common desire to better oneself with respect for the environment and physical integrity. A year for all sports that we will live together. Happy new year to all!
ASO Programme 2012
Outdoor:
Oxygen Challenge – May 18-20
Roc d’Azur – October 10-14
Running:
Barcelona Semi-Marathon – February 26
Semi-Marathon de Paris – March 4
Barcelona Marathon – March 25
Marathon de Paris – April 15
L’Equipe 10k – June 24
Cycling:
Paris – Roubaix Challenge – April 1
Liège – Bastogne – Liège – April 21
L’Etape du Tour – Act 1 – July 8
L’Etape du Tour – Act 2 – July 14
L’Etape Argentina by Le Tour de France – October 7-9
More info
And now it’s time to train!
You will be 40,000 on April 15 at the start of the Paris Marathon on the Champs Elysées. Registration is now closed and the time has come for all participants to train for this feat, your feat.
The last race numbers are gone, as every year before the end of November. More than 120 days before the start of the greatest marathon in the Hexagon.
Running in Paris has become a must for runners attached to the myth of 42.195 km and seduced by the prospect of doing their sport in the streets of the most beautiful city in the world.
Paris fascinates marathoners worldwide. Not surprising therefore that almost 38% of competitors at the starting line come from outside France. The British are well over 5000 starting. Representation also massive for Americans, Italians and Germans with more than 1,000 participants involved.
Last year, 31,169 runners had reached the finish line on the Avenue Foch. A figure that puts Paris in the Top 5 most massive marathons run with New York, London, Berlin and Chicago.
The focus is on services. The Paris Marathon, with Running Expo, the village dedicated to running is one of the most user friendly on the planet. We will also announce soon, new ideas to help you enjoy the race as much as we can.
Hours of training are back… it is your turn !
Run 42.195 km implies careful preparation. We will guide you in the coming months by offering training plans , nutrition and health advice.
The goal is to be ready April 15 to experience the adventure of Paris Marathon in the most competitive and festive way as possible. Running is a party. In Paris more than anywhere else!
