Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Paris 2024: How to take part in the ‘marathon under the stars’ on Olympic route

Those interested in following in the footsteps of top athletes running in the Paris 2024 Olympics can now register for the 'Marathon pour tous' which will take place under the stars in the city of light next summer.

Published: 21 April 2023 14:35 CEST
Paris 2024: How to take part in the 'marathon under the stars' on Olympic route
Runners compete during the 46th edition of the Paris Marathon (Photo by Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP)

For the first time in history, the general public will be able to participate in a running event organised by the Olympic Games. 

The Marathon pour tous (Marathon for all) will follow the same route as the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon, allowing more than 20,000 people to run the route under the stars – the marathon will start at 9pm on August 10th, 2024.

The path will take you through the heart of the city, following the Seine river out toward the Versailles Palace, passing along several historic landmarks on the way. 

The route itself has historic significance – as it pays tribute to the “Women’s March on Versailles”, a key moment from the start of the French revolution when thousands of women marched to the Versailles palace to force the king to finally see the reality of the streets of Paris, where many faced starvation. Historians consider this moment to have been integral in pushing the king to finally sign the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens”.

You can see the route below:

To participate in the marathon, you must be at least 20 years old by December 31, 2024. It will start at the Hôtel de Ville and finish on the Esplanade des Invalides, with a total of 20,024 places available.

If you are less interested in running 42km, there will also be a shorter 10km race as well. This will begin at 11:30pm, staying within central Paris and passing by monuments like the Eiffel Tower.

The 10km route will also be accessible to anyone with a disability, including those running with a guide or participating in either a wheelchair or all-terrain chair.

Participants for the 10km event will need to be at least 16 years old before December 31st, 2024.

How do I sign up?

This is where it gets complicated – you have to enter for a chance to win a slot to participate, and the more exercise you do over the next year, the better your chance will be.

First, you have to sign up for the “Club Paris 2024” – HERE. Once you have done that, you can earn points in order to enter in the draw for a place in either the Marathon or the 10km event.

The goal is to earn at least 100,000 points before 2024. You can earn points by connecting to the “Marathon pour tous” app and tracking any walking, running or bike riding you do. 

 

You can also connect the app with other tracking apps you use regularly, such as Fitbit or Nike+.

 

 

The app is available for iPhone and android, but some users have reported issues accessing the app with an iPhone.

Playing interactive games and quizzes on the “Club Paris 2024” website can also earn you points. 

Will there be fan zones along the route?

For those who either did not earn a spot, or who are not interested in running, you can still attend and cheer the athletes on. There will be several locations along the route for members of the public.

And if you are not interested in joining the competition, you can try following the course’s route on your own – it takes in lots of Paris landmarks before ending up at Versailles, so is great if you’re looking for a route for a bike ride.

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

Wanted: Chefs, cleaners and bus drivers for Paris Olympics

The organisers of the Paris Olympics are in a race to fill 16,000 job vacancies ranging from chefs and cleaners to bus drivers and technicians.

Published: 22 September 2023 09:16 CEST
Wanted: Chefs, cleaners and bus drivers for Paris Olympics

A recruitment fair is being held next week at the Olympic athletes’ village in Saint-Denis in a quest to find suitable candidates with the 2024 Games only 10 months away.

With employers in some sectors struggling to recruit since the Covid pandemic, this Olympian-size job drive will be “a challenge for both private security and catering”, said Cecile Martin from the French government’s department of labour.

Non-EU workers will need a residency permit in place in order to work – employers will not sponsor visas for overseas workers – and there has been additional scrutiny on Olympic projects after it was found that some staff working on Games construction projects were undocumented. 

All of this means that next week employers will have to convince potential candidates that the Olympic rings on their CVs represents a plus.

“It’s a rich experience which will be valued by future employers,” promised Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organising committee.

“It’s a great challenge, like the Games,” he told AFP.

“And all the better if the dynamic of the Olympic Games enables sectors in difficulty to find employees.”

The company awarded the contract to keep the athletes fed and watered at the Olympic Village and in 14 competition venues is seeking to recruit 6,000 staff.

The French RATP transport company needs bus drivers, while the clock is ticking for security firms to find the 17,000 to 22,000 people required to help the Games run smoothly.

Several thousand more will be required to help secure the fan zones.

According to Pole Emploi, France’s national employment centre, by the end of last month 6,200 people had been hired in this sector with a further 8,000 on training courses.

The Paris organising committee also needs staff in various areas. Its team numbers 1,700 now, with over 4,000 required by the time of the Games.

How many actual new jobs of the 18,000 identified will be created by next year’s Olympics is uncertain.

“This information will be available at the end of the Games,” said Christophe Lepetit from the Centre for Law and Economics of Sport (CDES).

SHOW COMMENTS