Don't be alarmed if you hear or glimpse a helicopter during a overflight of Paris, on Sunday, April 12, 2026. But what is it about, exactly? Of course authorized by the Paris police prefecture, the overflight of the capital will take place between 7:40 and 11:00, and for a good reason: it is linked to the Paris International Marathon!
A twin-turbine helicopter will, in fact, follow the runners' route along the entire trajectory of the race:
A specialized company will conduct aerial filming as part of the television coverage of the Paris Marathon. Expect to see or hear an aircraft overhead over the Place de la Concorde, the Opéra Garnier, the Louvre, Notre-Dame de Paris, the Musée d'Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, or the Grand Palais.
And just like the half-marathon, runners will also pass through Place de la Bastille, the Bois de Vincennes and the Bois de Boulogne. In short, it is set to sweep across a large swath of the capital! By the way, as a reminder, the Police Prefecture has put in place a specific traffic plan because of the marathon. Consequently, parking and road traffic are likely to be heavily disrupted on several Paris routes.
Participants will start from the Champs-Élysées at 7:55 a.m., bound for Avenue Foch, passing through Place de la Concorde, the Opéra Garnier, the Carrousel du Louvre, Rue de Rivoli, Place de la Bastille, Rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, Place de la Nation, Rue de Picpus, Avenue Daumesnil, Route de la Pyramide, Georges Pompidou Road, Avenue de New York, Avenue du Président Kennedy, Avenue de Versailles, Exelmans Boulevard, d’Auteuil Boulevard, Avenue de l’Hippodrome and Avenue Paul Doumer.
