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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.

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PARIS 2024 OLYMPICS

‘Raw meat’: British team hit out at Paris Olympics food

France is known as the home of haute cuisine, but the British delegation has said it is dissatisfied with the food available in the Olympic Village, which it said included ‘raw meat’.

Published: 26 July 2024 16:01 CEST
‘Raw meat’: British team hit out at Paris Olympics food

The delegation has brought in its own chef, and has complained about the lack of certain foods and its quality, according to British media.

Andy Anson, chief executive of the British Olympic Committee, told the Times that a ‘radical improvement’ was needed.

“There are some things where there is not enough: eggs, chicken, certain carbohydrates,” Anson said, referring to meals at restaurant facilities at the Olympic Village, where athletes are housed.

“And then there is the question of the quality of the food; athletes are served raw meat,” he said.

Anson said the food issue is ‘the biggest problem at the moment’, and said the extra chef was brought in to meet the extra demand from the delegation.

A Team GB spokesman told AFP hours before the opening ceremony, that things were looking up. “The latest update is that we understand the situation is improving and being attended to by Paris 2024,” he said.

French sports newspaper L’Equipe quoted a firm responsible for catering as saying that it was aware of issues, including a shortage of eggs, and was working to increase supplies.

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