Description
Welcome to the “Full Monty Tour” where you will clock 21 kilometers while experiencing the urban vibe as well as the incredible monuments and sights of Paris. Runners will especially admire the Opéra Garnier, the Sacré Coeur, the Moulin Rouge, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe.
Our meeting point is the metro station Opéra as there is not a better way to discover the Palais Garnier opera house. Upon exiting the metro, you can’t miss this neo-Baroque wonder from the 19th century. The building personifies the opulence of the Second Empire with its cornucopia of columns, friezes, gilded figures and busts, which decorate the ornate façade. The perfect place to start your Half Marathon in Paris.
When gradually climbing toward Montmartre mount, you will definitely be delighted by viewing the gleaming white Sacré Coeur as a kind of urban lighthouse focal point. It runs a close second to the Eiffel Tower in the popularity stakes. Impressive rather than beautiful, the vast Romano-Byzantine basilica was designed by Paul Abadie as a symbol of contrition after France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian war. Its construction took decades from 1875 to 1919. From the place du Parvis, right down the Sacré Coeur, Paris unfolds before us with a wonderful panoramic view of the Parisian roofs.
A stone’s throw from there is the Moulin Rouge. From the provocative Belle Époque Cancan dance especially immortalized by Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings to the refined erotic revues, you will not miss the most famous and colorfully Parisian cabaret. This photogenic place will definitely remind you of Baz Luhrmann’s musical movie starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor respectively playing Satine, a courtesan and Christian, a poet; falling in love.
And how not to be stunned by the Arc de Triomphe right in the middle of the place Charles-de-Gaulle! The massive triumphal arch was ordered by Napoleon following the victory at the battle of Austerlitz in 1805 to honor those who fought for France in the Napoleonic wars. You’ll quickly see what urban planner Baron Haussmann did to the city in the mid-1800s: twelve broad straight boulevards radiate in all directions from the place Charles-de-Gaulle thus named Étoile which means star. One of them is of course the wide pavements’ famous avenue des Champs-Elysées. Designed by André Le Nôtre, its sweeping uphill movement makes it ideal for processions among which the annual Bastille day on the 14th of July.
This Half Marathon running tour is the real way to discover Paris from every angle as runners venture through 10 of the 20 arrondissements of the French Capital! It’s diverse, it’s historical, it’s breathtaking, it’s edgy and it’s “Paris” to its fingertips.
One tour for all tastes! This half marathon suits both intermediate and expert runners. We usually stop to take in many sights but we definitely also can run it in one go upon request.
Sonya –
Shelly was my guide and she was wonderful and knowledgeable, and also great at matching my pace. We saw all the primary spots before the tourists and she sent me more great recommendations for the city afterward. Would 10/10 recommend!
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Kelly –
Traveling can be difficult when in training season for a race, but this was the perfect way to get miles in and learn so much about Paris. With limited time in the city, we got to see almost all of the major landmarks during our run. Shelly was awesome, and I would recommend this to anyone capable of running longer distances! Thank you Shelly for such a great experience!
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Ava –
Highlight recommend this experience, Shelly was an incredible guide! So knowledgeable and adapted the run to our pace (even when we got tired towards the end). Best way to see all the highlights of the city and get your long run in! Shelly even sent us a long list of recommendations after the run based on all the things we talked about wanting to do and see on our trip. 10/10!
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Toni L. –
I had a very quick vacation in Paris, and this was the perfect way to see all the sites at sunrise. I would recommend this tour to all runners; Erich is a fantastic guide who will let you set the pace of the tour. This is the perfect way to get a long run completed while traveling.
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Doug –
Had a fantastic run with Erich through Paris. Highly recommend to all runners. Great chance to see all the sites early before they get crowded.
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Michael Leithead –
I could not possibly recommend this tour more. I arrived in Paris Late the night before and had done zero site-seeing before I took my tour the Morning of May 16th with Shelly. Shelly was incredibly knowledgeable and so fun to be around. She set this run up so each site will sneak up on you as you turn the corner! It was incredible to see things such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe so early as you have the whole place to yourself. The following five days my wife and I were in Paris I was able to spout off a million facts I had learned that morning.
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William Marder –
This tour is a great way to see one of the most beautiful cities in the world. In one morning you get to see all of the most beautiful sites. The sites are breathtakingly beautiful. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see these beautiful places.
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Lisa –
A running tour is a great way to be introduced to a new city! Yohann took me on a tour of all the sites, provided great information, as well as photo ops! I would highly recommend doing this tour at the start of your stay.
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Jennie Stevenson –
The Full Monty was a highlight of my trip to Paris. Running with Yohann allowed me to see the sights of Paris on foot and shared his knowledge of the sights along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience and have now got many envious friends back home. Merci beaucoup Yohann!
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M. Grace Lahert –
This half marathon running tour with Yohann was the highlight of my trip. For me, it was the best way to cover all sites in a short time, and what’s more, with a French local providing you the knowledge along the way. If you can run (it doesn’t need to be fast paced), then book this running tour, it’s well worth it. C’était le meilleur jour! Merci beaucoup Yohann!
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Veronika –
Although I have been to Paris several times and have been running there, it was the first time I went on a Running tour there. Choosing Go Running Tours was the best choice. Yohann understood my approach to running and life and met me at my apartment at Montmartre with a croissant in his pocket. (Every true French guy has one, believe me. Otherwise, he is a fake just check it!) He is a great sportsman but had no problem to keep my pace. Warm-up was then slow climbing the hill to Sacre-Coeur eating the croissant talking about life… What´s more? Are you ready? Yes! Let´s go! Yohann was able to show new and hidden places for me and caused I fell in love with the city again. I really appreciate the time he gave me full of attention without any marks we should end. We stopped only because I was already tired after 24 k otherwise he would spend with me perhaps the whole day talking about Paris and running to brand new places. If you want to experience Paris with love, Go Running Tours Paris… And if you want to have fun and some great pics, too.
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Dan –
Yohann was a great guide – full of enthusiasm and knowledge about all the attractions we stopped off at. Yohann takes some great photos for you along the way. He also provided me with many fantastic local restaurant recommendations and alternate sights to visit away from the ‘main’ popular ones.
I did the 21.1km and was amazed at how much of the city we covered. And Yohann even met me at my apartment with a fresh croissant to start the run with. Legend!
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