Paris Marathon 2026: Everything You Need to Know

Sarah Pardi - August 6, 2025

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One of the biggest races in the world, thousands of runners travel to Paris every year for the Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris.

26.2 miles (42.1 km) of grand avenues, historic monuments, and endless crowds cheering you on... all in France's treasured capital.

We're going to cover everything you need to know, from race day itself to visa requirements, insurance, and more.

This will give you a good foundation to start with before you pack your bags, head abroad, and run the most amazing race of your life!

The Paris Marathon

When: Sunday, April 12, 2026.

Where: The race starts at the famous Champs-Élysées in Paris, France.

How to register

The Paris Marathon is a charity run, which affects how runners register. While you do not have to register for the charity portion, it is a popular option.

There are 50 partnering charity options to choose from, and your race entry fee varies depending on the charity you choose. Each charity has a minimum they need to reach, so your participation isn't confirmed until the charity meets its target.

Some of the partnering charities for the 2026 Paris Marathon include WWF, American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish UK, Komera, and more.

Registrations are done through the time to website.

You can learn more about how to register here.

What your registration includes

When you register for the Paris Marathon, your entry includes:

Access to the Run Experience Expo
Your race bib (with your name or nickname and your nationality's flag).
Your timing/rank in the race.
A finisher t-shirt.
A runner bag.
A completion medal.
A finisher diploma.
Training plans.
Pacers in the race.
Live tracking through the app.

How to pick up your bib

The Paris "Run Experience" is a huge, indoor running expo with world-famous, European, and even French-local fitness and health brands.

There are also kiosks for customer support and assistance for the Marathon itself.

You'll pick up your race bib at this expo.

You'll need to pick it up from the expo on one of the following days:

Thursday, April 9th
Friday, April 10th
Saturday, April 11th

If you need to change your starting time, you can also do this at the expo, but keep in mind that you will be required to show proof of your ability to run in a certain wave (such as previous official race results).

Details that are good to know

You can't change the name on your bib.

If you want to change the name on your bib (nicknames are allowed, which can be fun), unfortunately, you can't according to the official website.

Make sure you choose which name/nickname you'd like to have ahead of time.

You have to take a health prevention course.

Not uncommon in Europe, if you aren't a licensed professional runner, you will need to take a health prevention course ahead of the race. You can take it up to 3 months in advance, and it is entirely online.

The course isn't long and is about runners' health, wellness, risk prevention, and safety.

One note, your name and birthdate for the course need to match your race registration details.

If you are a licensed pro runner, you will need a qualifying medical certificate.

They're adding more aid stations

The Paris Marathon has decided to up the ante and add more aid stations to the course! Stations will have snacks like bananas and pretzels, as well as hydration options.

Racers will be able to grab a cup of water and/or refill their own bottles.

You'll see more aid stations this year, particularly in the second half of the course.

Traveling to Paris for the race

Like many countries, Paris has some requirements that travelers need to be aware of.

Visa requirements

Some runners need a visa before heading to France. Whether or not you need one depends on your nationality (the country that issued your passport), as well as how long you're staying.

So long as you're staying fewer than 90 days, if you're a citizen of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and several other countries, you do not need a visa to go to France.

If you're traveling with a passport issued by India, China, South Africa, Turkey, or some other countries, you will need a visa.

You can learn more about who needs a French visa and how to get one here.

Travel insurance is mandatory for visa applicants

If you're heading to Paris with a visa, travel insurance is mandatory. Even if you aren't applying for a visa for your trip, it's still highly encouraged.

For all Schengen visa applications (this is the application for your visa for France), travel insurance is required, and it has to meet specific requirements, such as covering at least €30,000 in emergency medical expenses.

All of Insurte's policies meet Schengen visa requirements, so that's a good option if you're not sure where to look.

Americans need an IDP to drive in France

If you're planning to rent a car, it's important to know that the US driver's license alone isn't recognized in France.

France requires travelers with a US driver's license to either get an official notarized translation of their license or get an International Driving Permit (IDP).

You must be 18 years or older to drive in France, even if you have a valid license from elsewhere.

Note: UK licenses are recognized, so an IDP isn't required for Britons.