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Paris Marathon training plan

A Paris Marathon plan for April 2027: the Champs-Élysées start, the two park loops, when to start, and a coach that plans each week from your runs.

Race day: Sunday 11 April 2027 (expected) · Paris, France

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Week 1

5 runs4 h 2 min
  • Mon30 minEasy run
  • Tue47 minHill repeats
  • Thu40 minEasy run + strides
  • Sat35 minEasy run
  • Sun90 minLong run

Coach

This first week matches what you're running now, so your body can settle in.

For someone running about 4 h a week now.

The course

  • Champs-Élysées to Avenue Foch

    The race starts on the Champs-Élysées, heading downhill, and finishes on Avenue Foch.

  • The city, then a long park loop

    You pass the Louvre on Rue de Rivoli and circle the Bastille, then head out for a long loop of the Bois de Vincennes. Halfway comes back in the city, on Rue de Charenton.

  • The Seine and its tunnels

    In the second half you run along the Seine, past the Île de la Cité and through a series of tunnels, with the Eiffel Tower opposite the big drinks station at the Trocadéro.

  • The Bois de Boulogne, then the finish

    The last miles go through the Bois de Boulogne. Runner guides call the course mostly flat with short rises and quote different totals for the climbing, so plan for rolling rather than pancake flat.

When to start

Count back from race day. The marathon runs on a Sunday in April. The 2027 date is expected, not yet confirmed.

The Monday to start on, by plan length
LengthStart bySuits
12 weeksMonday 11 January 2027You run regularly now
16 weeksMonday 14 December 2026A common length for a marathon
20 weeksMonday 16 November 2026More room if you run little now

What matters for the Paris Marathon

  • Start easier than the downhill says

    The Champs-Élysées start runs downhill, and the Vincennes loop comes while you are fresh. Keep the first kilometres easy.

  • Run by effort in the tunnels

    Tunnels can confuse a watch's GPS. Use effort and the kilometre markers, and practise running by feel in training.

  • Finish the long runs with steady running

    The Bois de Boulogne comes at the end, when your legs are tired. In the later weeks some long runs finish at marathon pace, so the last miles are practised.

Getting a place

Entry has asked for a medical certificate; since 2025 the organisers have accepted an online self-certification. Check their site for this year's rules.

Every week to race day

A sample marathon plan, not one for this race: a runner’s weeks to race day if every week goes as planned. Yours is planned from your race, your days and what you run now.
  1. Week 1: 242 minutes, build
  2. Week 2: 264 minutes, build
  3. Week 3: 288 minutes, build
  4. Week 4: 318 minutes, build
  5. Week 5: 318 minutes, build
  6. Week 6: 242 minutes, easier
  7. Week 7: 319 minutes, race-specific
  8. Week 8: 351 minutes, race-specific
  9. Week 9: 379 minutes, race-specific
  10. Week 10: 283 minutes, easier
  11. Week 11: 376 minutes, race-specific
  12. Week 12: 407 minutes, race-specific
  13. Week 13: 418 minutes, race-specific
  14. Week 14: 326 minutes, taper
  15. Week 15: 261 minutes, taper
  16. Week 16: 433 minutes, race week
Running time each week to race day
  1. Week 6 This is an easier week, so your body can absorb the training.
  2. Week 7 A new 4-week cycle starts, focused on race-specific work at your race effort. Race-specific training: sessions at your race effort.
  3. Week 14 Taper: less running, same intensity, so you start the race fresh.

Questions before you start

When should I start training for the Paris Marathon?

For a plan of at least 16 weeks, start by Monday 14 December 2026. 12 weeks (Monday 11 January 2027) suits a runner who already runs regularly, and 20 weeks (Monday 16 November 2026) gives more room if you run little now. A spring race puts most of the plan in the cold and the dark, so choose run times you can keep on a dark morning. The date is expected rather than confirmed, so count back from the organisers' date once it is published. When you set your race, your coach checks the date against your running and tells you if it comes too soon.

Is the Paris Marathon flat?

Mostly, with short rises. Runner guides give different totals for the climbing, so plan for rolling rather than pancake flat, and for a downhill start on the Champs-Élysées.

Do I need a medical certificate for the Paris Marathon?

It used to be required. Since 2025 the organisers have accepted an online self-certification instead. Rules change, so check the organisers' site for your year.

What if I miss a run?

Skip it with a reason, or just leave it. Missed runs are never made up: next week is planned from what you actually ran.

What happens after the 14 days?

Unless you subscribe, for $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, your coach stops: no new weeks, logging, check-ins or reminders. You can still see your plan, past weeks and logged runs, and download or delete your data. We never asked for a card, so nothing is charged.

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Choose marathon, set the days you can run and what you run now. Your plan starts from there, and every week is planned from the one before.

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