This is another marathon blog penned by Geoffrey. Please contact me if you are interested in knowing more about anything related to this Marathon event.
Over to Geoffrey …
I had never previously seriously considered this event as Paris is a looong way to travel for a marathon which is not one of the 7 World Marathon Mayors. But to incorporate this with a road trip to Bordeaux via the Loire Valley chateaus and vineyards and the decision to enter was an absolute no-brainer!
I loved the event even though I was far from marathon fitness. It meant that I could sit back (a bit) and enjoy the day and the amazing scenic course which Paris offers…
Unfortunately, I came into the event carrying plantar fasciitis issues in both feet which I had been managing for a number of weeks. This meant a curtailed training program which (not unexpectedly) affected the level of my endurance. However, this strategy turned out to be most wise as I was able to run the event pain-free (although the feet were pretty painful subsequently which I had to manage with NSAIDs).
With 57,000 runners this was a new world record for a marathon. To manage these numbers, runners start over a period of 4 hours which meant that by the time I had started the elite runners had already crossed the finish line. The start line on the Champs-Élysées – with the Arc de Triomphe behind you – is probably the most spectacular start out of any of the marathons that I have started.
The running conditions were perfect – cool, dry, calm and overcast.
The list of iconic sights along the course is mind-boggling – so imagine what you’d see along the way …
Av des Champs Élysées – Place de la Concorde – Rue de Rivoli – Rue de la Paix – Place Vendome – Palais Garnier – Av de L’Opéra – Carrousel du Louvre – Quai Mitterrand – Rue de L’Amiral de Coligny – Rue de Rivoli – Place de la Bastille – Rue de Faubourg Saint-Antoine – Rue de Revilly – Place Ebouée – Av Daumesnil – Place Renard – Av Daumesnil – Esplanade Saint Louis – Château de Vincennes – Route de la Pyramide – Route de la Ferme – Route de la Tourelle – Route du Pesage – Ave de Gravelle – Rue de Charenton – Av Daumesnil – Rue de Lyon – Place de la Bastille – Bd Henri 4 – Quai des Célestins – Voie Pompidou – Place de la Concorde – Voie Pompidou – Place de L’Alma – Tour Eiffel – Av de New York – Place de Varsovie – Av du Président Kennedy – Maison de la Radio – Av de Versailles – Bd Exelmans – Bd D’Auteuil – Allée de la Reine Marguerite – Av de L’Hippodrome – Av Ingres – Chaussée de la Muette – Av Doumer – Place du Trocadéro – Av Poincaré – Place V. Hugo – Av Bugeaud – Av Foch – Arc de Triomphe.
If I had to choose particular highlights it would be the Bois de Boulogne (the largest public park in Paris) and the 8km stretch alongside the Seine River.
A possible criticism of the organization was the crowd control – especially over the last few kilometers where the crowd numbers exploded. Generally, there are no barriers to stop people from infringing the course which meant that the course narrowed to just a few meters wide in places. Supporters were able to join and run alongside which only created further congestion. You wouldn’t be happy if you were chasing a fast time. This would never be able to occur in a Marathon Major. However, you get the feeling that Paris is not interested in becoming a major – for 51% of runners this was their first ever marathon and a big part of the event is the fun, the atmosphere as well as the achievement. My finish time was 4hrs 40min – a near PW! But this was expected and I didn’t mind. My legs had gone by 32 kms so the last 10km was a hard, slow slog. But this was still one of my most enjoyable and satisfying marathons runs ever…
