Paris 2024 Olympic marathon course unveiled

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled its marathon route for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and it has everything from stunning views to French history and challenging climbs.

A spectacular, demanding, and unprecedented race!
Discover the official route of the #Paris2024 Olympic marathon ?
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Spectaculaire, exigeant, inspirant, voici le parcours du Marathon Olympique de #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/kLshJ4fTFG

— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) October 5, 2022

The course is a loop to the famous palace of Versailles, which runners will reach at the 23 km mark, and is a tribute to the women’s march on Versailles, one of the earliest and most significant events of the French Revolution. (The march began among women in the marketplaces of Paris who, on the morning of Oct. 5, 1789, rioted over the high price of bread. The race will follow a similar path.)

“It was one of the commitments of Paris 2024 to bring together the spectacular dimensions of French history and athletics,” said Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet in a press release.

Paris City Hall, l’Hôtel de Ville, marks the start of the race, where women assembled for the march in 1789. On the way out, runners will pass notable Paris landmarks such as the Louvre (5 km), the Grand Palais (7 km), and the National Museum (15 km) before turning around at Versailles (23 km).

Runners will pass Parc André Citroën (36 km) and the world-famous Eiffel Tower (39 km) on the way back before finishing in front of the Esplanade des Invalides, nearly four kilometres southwest of the start line.

The challenging course features 483m of elevation gain, which makes it unlikely any records will be broken. There are two significant climbs, with a gradient of 13.5 per cent, at the 20 km and 27 km mark.

The women’s marathon is set to be the last athletics event at the 2024 Olympic Games on Aug. 11, the day after the men’s marathon, which is expected to feature Paris 2024 ambassador and marathon world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge, who hopes to become the first person ever to win three consecutive Olympic marathons.

The 2024 Games will still host its mass running event, allowing 20,024 runners in both the marathon and 10K races—the first of its kind to be run in conjunction with the elite race at an Olympic Games.

Race schedule

Men’s marathon – Saturday, Aug. 10 at 7:00 a.m. local time  (2 a.m. ET)

Women’s marathon – Sunday, Aug. 11 at 7:00 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET)

(start times subject to change)