The Paris 20km 2026 gets underway this Sunday, October 11, 2026 at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in the 7th arrondissement. For this 48th edition, the Harmonie Mutuelle Paris 20km expects more than 35,000 participants from 110 nationalities, with a free village open from Friday and a kids’ race on Saturday.
Having already seen the peloton stretch along the quays in past editions, we know just how special this October Sunday feels. The city becomes a vast open-air track, where race bibs replace cars and passersby turn into improvised supporters.
The story begins on October 28, 1979. That year, about 8,000 runners take the field for a race conceived by a sports association, with the backing of the athlete Michel Jazy. Road racing was just taking root in France at the time.
Nearly half a century on, the race remains one of the marquee events on France’s running calendar. Its calling card endures: a 20-kilometer course that feels like a postcard from western Paris, landmark after landmark.
The race starts at the Pont d'Iéna, with the Eiffel Tower in view. Runners then head toward the Trocadéro, along Avenue Marceau and past the Arc de Triomphe, before plunging into the bois de Boulogne for about four kilometres of greenery. The route then skirts by Roland-Garros and the Maison de la Radio, running along the quais de Seine to the Grand Palais and the Louvre. The finish is on the Champ-de-Mars, with the Eiffel Tower squarely in sight.
An orchestra awaits the runners at every kilometer mark, turning the route into a long urban carnival. On the sidewalks, hundreds of thousands of spectators are expected to line the route to cheer on the peloton.
The 2026 field is surprisingly diverse. The average participant is about 39 years old, and women make up nearly 44% of registrants — more than 15,000 female runners.
The patron of this edition, placed under the banner of health, is Stéphane Diagana, a two-time world champion (400 meters hurdles and 4x400 meter relay). A sport-health ambassador for Harmonie Mutuelle since 2021, he has been guiding runners for several months with a six-episode podcast series on training, recovery, nutrition, and managing effort. His message boils down to one simple idea: run to take care of yourself, not just to clock a fast time.
On the elite side, the lineup has real presence. Among the women, we find Alice Finot, fourth in the 3,000 metres steeplechase at the Paris 2024 Games and the European record holder in the discipline, alongside Manon Trapp, the 2024 winner. Among the men, Emmanuel Roudolff-Levisse, runner-up last year, will be there with Hassan Chahdi and Clément Leduc. We detail all the favorites in our article on the star athletes of the 48th edition.
Paralympic sport is gaining more prominence: 17 wheelchair athletes are lining up at the start, up from 8 last year. Good news: prize money for results is now the same for able-bodied athletes and wheelchair athletes.
Paris 20km 2026: The star athletes of the 48th edition
The Paris 20km brings together a particularly strong elite field for its 48th edition, from the Pont d'Iéna to the Eiffel Tower, on Sunday, October 11, 2026. Able-bodied runners and wheelchair athletes will be vying for the win. [Read more]
Among the bibs, 180 firefighters aren’t running just for fun. Dubbed the "Heart Team," they line the front of every starting wave, highly visible. Their mission: to respond as quickly as possible in case someone feels unwell or is injured.
This setup brings emergency responders closer to the runners, rather than confining them to fixed posts along the route. With 35,000 people running simultaneously through the streets, it serves as a moving safety net that travels with the peloton.
Our highlight of this edition is undoubtedly found in the joëlettes teams, back for a second year. These single-wheel chairs let people with disabilities experience the race from the inside. Several runners take turns pushing and guiding the contraption along the 20-kilometer course, after joint training to learn how to handle it. Here, the clock takes a back seat; it’s the collective adventure that truly matters.
Another commendable initiative, the Heart Relay returns in 2026 with the cardiac rehabilitation service at the Saint-Joseph Hospital. About a dozen patients who have undergone heart surgery or are being treated for a cardiovascular condition take turns along the route, each according to their abilities and with two escorts. One of them, who has already taken part in the previous two editions, even decided this year to complete the full 20-kilometer course.
The race isn’t limited to Sunday morning. The village opens on Friday at the Émile-Anthoine Stadium, Sydney Square, just a short walk from the Champ de Mars. Admission is free, and more than 50 exhibitors and partners will be hosting activities there. Here is the full schedule.
Note: no race bibs can be picked up on Sunday morning. All pickups happen on Friday or Saturday at the village. For the youngest participants, the 9th edition of the kids’ race is explored in detail in our article on the 20Kids 2026. The Kids' Athletics, a new feature this year, is run without a timer: the idea is to have fun and discover athletics.
The organization highlights its environmental efforts. Since 2025, its responsible approach has been recognized by World Athletics under its international label “Athletics for a Better World.” Along the route, a Green Brigade of 20 runners picks up litter mile after mile.
Aid stations operate without bottles or disposable cups. Runners are therefore asked to bring their own container—a detail worth packing the night before.
On the solidarity front, the 2026 edition supports the Association Grégory Lemarchal, dedicated to fighting cystic fibrosis, aiding patients and their families, funding research, and raising awareness about organ donation. For each registration, €3 per individual bib and €12 per pack are donated to the association.
The race is shown live on ICI Paris Île-de-France from 8:40 a.m., with streaming on france.tv. The commentary team features Benoit Durand and Christelle Daunay for running expertise, Denis Lemeunier for para-sport, and François-Xavier de Chateaufort and Christian Mirabaud providing coverage close to the leading pack.
To cheer on the runners in person, the simplest option is to position yourself along the quays or near the Trocadéro, arriving early. The village is set up at the Émile-Anthoine Stadium, Place de Sydney (Paris 15th, just beside the 7th arrondissement), accessible on Friday and Saturday via the RER C at Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel or via line 8 at École Militaire. All bib-pickup information is on the race’s official website.
The route will take over much of western Paris all morning, spanning the 7th, 8th, 15th and 16th arrondissements. Some closures begin on Saturday night into Sunday, with streets gradually reopening after the last runner has passed and the installations are taken down.
The most affected stretch remains the start and finish zones: the Iéna Bridge, Place de Varsovie, Avenue des Nations-Unies, the Branly Quay and Jacques-Chirac Quay. Further on, the race runs along Avenue Marceau, Presbourg Street and Avenue Foch before entering the Bois de Boulogne via Longchamp Alley and Queen Marguerite Alley. It then heads toward Auteuil, Molitor Gate, Boulevard Murat and Saint-Cloud Gate, before joining Georges-Pompidou Avenue, New York Avenue and the quays up to Pont Royal.
On the ring road, several exits in the 16th arrondissement are closed, notably near Porte Dauphine, Porte Molitor and Porte de Saint-Cloud. If you're coming from the suburbs, it’s best to check your route right before you head out.
Even if you’re not driving, the 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. window should be avoided for traffic in Paris, around the Champ de Mars or near the city’s big landmarks like the Grand Palais and the Louvre. Buses face major detours and traffic gets pushed onto neighboring routes.
The 2026 Paris 20km will close roads and ban parking in western Paris this Sunday, October 11, 2026. The Police Prefecture’s order finally details the streets affected around the Eiffel Tower. [Read more]
Our advice: don’t hunt for parking near the Eiffel Tower, the Trocadéro, or along the route. Parking bans are in place even before race day, notably on Avenue Joseph-Bouvard, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, and a badly parked car can end up towed. Even an open lot can become a trap if its access streets are closed.
The simplest option is to park the car well away from the route, near a metro line that’s running, and finish the journey by public transport or on foot. Cycling is also a good choice: organizers have set up two free bike parking areas, with 650 spaces at Champ-de-Mars and 150 at Place de Varsovie, best reserved on the event website. If you don’t have a bike of your own, the Bonjour RATP app helps you locate and rent a Vélib’ or a self‑service scooter, with pedestrian directions to complete the trip.
Here's the headline you need before you head out: Line 6 of the metro will be closed all day this Sunday for maintenance, and no replacement buses will run before 3 p.m. due to road closures. The Bir-Hakeim, Passy, and Trocadéro stations on the Line 6 side are thus out of service.
Lines 11 and 13 are also cut back until noon, with a replacement bus on line 13 between Asnières-Gennevilliers Les Courtilles and Porte de Clichy (line 14 can serve as an alternative for part of the journey). The RER C does not run between Invalides and Gare d'Austerlitz until 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The T3b tram is interrupted between Porte Dauphine and Porte Maillot from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and many bus routes are diverted.
To reach the start, opt for line 9 via Trocadéro and Iéna stations. To reconnect with your loved ones at the finish, École Militaire station (line 8) is the most convenient, as is Franklin D. Roosevelt (lines 1 and 9) if you plan to finish on foot. The details of disruptions can be found on the dedicated RATP page, and we also provide updates on closed roads and parking restrictions as well as on closed metros, buses and stations.
The Paris 20km race returns on Sunday, October 11, 2026, in the western part of the capital, from the Pont d'Iéna to the Eiffel Tower. With three metro lines closed for works, buses diverted and a tramway out of service, preparations for the day are underway. [Read more]
Even without a bib, the Paris 20K is well worth a detour. Watching 35,000 runners stream between the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, cheering on the joëlettes and wheelchair athletes, offers a different way to experience the city on a Sunday morning. Families flock to the village on Saturday, with kids walking away proudly sporting a medal around their neck.
For runners, it’s a chance to run in the places you usually whiz through by car or on the subway, with a real sense of solidarity. Just remember your water bottle and to remove your bib before Sunday. And to cap off your weekend, our selection que faire ce dimanche 11 octobre 2026 à Paris is full of ideas.
Want to keep the momentum going with another race? Our guide to charity runs in 2026 brings together more dedicated events, and the Paris-Saclay Running Tour 2026 offers a fresh way to discover Essonne, on foot.
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Dates and Opening Time
On October 11, 2026
Location
Eiffel Tower
Avenue Gustave Eiffel
75007 Paris 7
Route planner
Accessibility info
Access
Metro and RER: Line 6 or 9 "Trocadéro" station Line 6 "Bir-Hakeim" station RER C "Champ de Mars - Tour Eiffel" station
Prices
€55
Official website
in.njuko.com
Paris 20km 2026: The star athletes of the 48th edition
Paris 20km: which streets will be closed this Sunday, October 11? The restrictions
Paris 20km 2026: Metro, bus and stations closed this Sunday
