How do I enter the Paris Marathon?

Registration is open to all runners (born 2005 or earlier) via the timeto.com platform, with no qualifying time required. Charity entries are also available through affiliated charities, requiring you to reach a minimum fundraising target set by each charity.

What is the time limit for the Paris Marathon?

The course time limit is 6 hours from when the last participant crosses the start line. After this point, roads reopen to traffic, though runners may continue unofficially on the sidewalk.

Is the Paris Marathon a Boston qualifier?

Yes. The Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris is a World Athletics Gold Label race and is accepted by the BAA as a qualifying event. Finish times from this race count toward Boston qualification.

What is the elevation profile like?

The course has roughly 958 feet of cumulative gain and 948 feet of loss, with a high point of 213 feet and low point of 82 feet. It is not as flat as its reputation suggests. The Seine tunnels and the Bois de Boulogne in the final 10 km are the most physically demanding sections.

What is the typical race-day weather?

April race day in Paris averages a high around 62°F (17°C) and a low around 46°F (8°C). Expect cool, partly cloudy conditions; light rain is possible but it rarely derails a race.

How large is the Paris Marathon field?

The 2025 edition had approximately 55,495 finishers, making it one of the five largest marathon fields in the world.

When does registration open?

For the 2027 edition, registration is expected to open around April 23, 2026, with the window closing around January 15, 2027. Charity entries typically open earlier and can fill before the general close date.

Apr 2027 · est.ParisSince 1976

Schneider Electric Paris Marathon

The Paris Marathon runs from the Champs-Élysées through nine city districts to Avenue Foch, past the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, and two major parks. The Seine tunnels and the Bois de Boulogne finish make it more demanding than its flat reputation suggests.

FlatOpen

Visit race website

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC PARIS · FR

Schneider Electric Paris

APR 2027

estimated

UNLOCK YOUR FIT SCORE

How does Schneider Electric Paris stack up for you?

Answer 6 questions, and we’ll score this race honestly and compare it against every other marathon in our directory.

Find my race

Race Overview

EST. 1976

Paris is one of those races that looks easy on the map and humbles you by kilometer 35. It starts on the Champs-Élysées heading slightly downhill, and the first 15 kilometers through the Louvre, Bastille, and Bois de Vincennes are fast and crowd-lined. You'll feel good. Don't go with it. The return leg along the Seine is where the race changes character: a sequence of road tunnels with short punchy climbs that accumulate in your legs quietly and without warning. Be patient there.

The final 10 kilometers in the Bois de Boulogne are the real test. The crowds thin out, the terrain rolls, and every poor pacing decision from earlier comes due. The finish on Avenue Foch is earned. Entry is open registration through the timeto.com platform, no qualifying time needed, which makes it genuinely accessible. Charity entries are also an option. It's a race for all levels, but the back half of the course will tell you the truth about your training.

Field size

~55k

55,000 finishers

BQ rate

15%

Above national average

Time limit

6:00

Tight cutoff

Entry

Open

First-come registration

Course records

Men

2:04:21

Elisha Rotich

2021

Women

2:18:34

Shure Demise

2026

The Course

600 ft total gain

Total ascent

↑600 ft

Total descent

↓600 ft

Net elevation

↑0 ft

Highest point

213 ft

Lowest point

82 ft

Course shape

Loop

Start and finish in one place

Paris starts with a slight downhill on the Champs-Élysées, then flattens through the city center past the Louvre and Bastille to the Bois de Vincennes. The Vincennes loop (km 10-20) is mostly flat with gentle rolling terrain. The return along the Seine (km 20-30) involves a series of road underpasses requiring short, repeated climbs and descents that tax the legs more than the elevation numbers suggest. The Bois de Boulogne (km 35-42) delivers the hardest sustained rolling of the race when fatigue has already compounded. Cumulative gain is roughly 958 feet. The course rewards disciplined early pacing. Runners who go out hard through the beautiful first half routinely suffer in the park, where crowds thin and the terrain refuses to let up.

DIFFICULTYROLLINGPR-FRIENDLYMODERATE

View official course map Past results

Race-Day Weather

10-year median

Low

45°F

High

60°F

30°MARATHON-IDEAL 45–60°80°

What to expect

April in Paris runs cool and damp. You'll likely start in the low-to-mid 40s, which feels cold in the corral, so a throwaway layer is worth it. By the time you're deep into the back half, temperatures climb into the high 50s or low 60s, which is comfortable for most runners. It's rarely a heat-management crisis, but cloud cover and intermittent drizzle are common, so don't count on sunshine to lift you through the late miles. Overall a decent window for a solid effort.

Entry

OPEN · CHARITY

Open registration with tiered pricing that climbs as the field fills. The marathon sells out months before race day; charity entries through partner organizations are the main option once general entry closes. No qualifying time required.

Register on race site

Logistics

For runners travelling in

Closest airport

CDG

22 mi

from the start

≈ 35 min transferEasy transfer

What to expect

Most travelling runners fly into CDG, about 22 miles from the start, an easy transfer by rideshare or transit, roughly a 35-minute trip. Stay close to the start in Paris so you're not fighting race-morning closures and transit on tired legs. Arrive a day early to clear the expo and bib pickup, and build in buffer for gear-check and corral entry.