Paris Marathon
Author: Aigars Nords0 COMMENTS
It is one of the most popular and beautiful marathons in the world - it's Paris, after all! The well-attended event gathers about 30-40 thousand participants each year, at least half of them foreigners. You run with eyes wide open, surrounded by a huge crowd, marveling at the architectural masterpieces of the world's most romantic city. The route starts at the Arch of Triumph, follows along the Champs Elysées avenue, Rue de Rivoli with the Louvre and luxurious buildings of foreign embassies, Place de la Bastille, winds through small streets of western Paris, reaches the Bois de Boulogne, the famous park and wood located on the outskirts of Paris, then comes the Seine, and finally the finish at the Eifel Tower. What an amazing experience it is, especially if you have wander through the capital city of France like a tourist before! The metro is full of running enthusiasts wearing sports costumes, and you can safely let the stream of people take you straight to the start. After the marathon, half of the city strolls around with the symbolic marathon medals hanging around their necks!
The Paris Marathon takes place in April and brings the city centre to standstill for several hours. If you are not among aficionados, perhaps it's better to avoid going there at all - you will not see the traditional and expected face of the city on this day anyway. Concerts and musical performances take place along the course, and thousands of screaming and applauding supporters are nothing out of the ordinary then. The overall jollity and weird costumes stay in balance with very serious running, however. Some participants are dressed like bartenders, some - walking on stilts even, and numerous corporate and foreign teams are participating. Yet both professionals, aiming for substantial cash prizes and beginners, running for fun are aware that they have to manage those 42 kilometers. Although the Paris Marathon has never splurged with prominent runners, the achieved records are quite impressive - about 2h 7 min. Mostly, it is due to the flat relief of the course with just a few light ascents, and the fresh spring air is just perfect for average European's lungs as well.
As usual, Expo and a traditional pasta party are held before the marathon. The Paris half-marathon takes place in March (www.semideparis.com).
More information about the marathon on the website: www.parismarathon.com
Useful information
Note that you have to register for the Paris Marathon in due time (like for any world level marathon), as the number of participants is limited to 35 thousands.
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