Paris – the city of lights, the city of love, the city of runners. On our running tours, our guests are always grateful to hear our tips on running in the city. For this reason, I decided to write this post and share it with everyone – the ultimate guide to running in Paris.
Paris is an exceptional city, famed for its importance in secular history. The French capital is a subtle mix of old & modern with unique architectural, artistic and gastronomic diversity. Discover it in the best way possible, by running in Paris!
- Sightrunning Tours in Paris
- Paris Running Races
- Paris Running Routes
- Paris Running Clubs
- Paris Running Routes
- Paris Climate
Sightrunning Tours in Paris
Experience Paris through our guided sightrunning tours:
- For both tourists and professionals, one on one or in groups,
- Routes adapted to beginners, intermediate and expert runners: set your tour, your distance and your pace,
- World famous city sights and lesser known or even unknown ones,
- Local guide,
- Pick-up service,
- Key site stops to take photos and/or to rest a bit,
- Extra route stops on request,
- Possibility to run the tours in one go on request,
- Chat with a local and experience historic and cultural anecdotes on the go, along with personalised tips on the best way to discover the perfect places for your stay,
- Local tips e-mailed and tour pics attached via Dropbox after the run
Paris Must See Tour – 11km (7mi) – 2h – Individual pace – Moderate run
This is also what we call the “Seinic” Running Tour, as we run on both sides of the Seine and onto the Île de la Cité, while taking in all the spectacular sights that Paris is world famous for. The Louvre Museum & Pyramide, Eiffel Tower, Notre – Dame Cathedral and many other significant locations. This is definitely a tour that can’t be missed.
Paris Must See Tour – 7km (4mi) – 1h30 – Individual pace – Easy run
This is the little sister of the tour above. It includes; The Louvre Museum & Pyramide, Tuileries garden, Place de la Concorde, Grand & Petit Palais, Eiffel Tower, Palais Bourbon and Musée d’Orsay. All this in 7km!
Royal Gardens Tour – 8km (5mi) – 1h45 – Individual pace – Moderate run
The “green” and peaceful tour where runners experience the refined harmony in between royal buildings and French gardens. From The Louvre to the Palais du Luxembourg while running through the Jardin des Tuileries, along the Seine and through the Jardin du Luxembourg, this tour is calming for the soul.
Paris Full Monty Tour – 21 km (13.2 mi) – 3h – Individual pace – Moderate & hard run
“Full Monty Tour” is not just a play on words, it’s the real way to discover Paris from every angle and to experience the urban vibe as runners venture through 10 of its 20 arrondissements! Opéra Garnier, Sacré Coeur, Moulin Rouge, Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Palais Royal, Notre – Dame, Louvre, Eiffel tower… The list of astounding sights doesn’t stop!
Paris Saint-Ouen Flea Market Tour – 5 km (3 mi) – 3h – Individual pace – Easy Walk
Officially created in 1885, the Saint-Ouen Flea Market – also called the “Puces”- is considered the largest concentration of antiques and second – hand goods in the world. It’s also a real gold mine for vintage items. You’ll for sure enjoy the must – sees as well as the hidden pearls of this buzzing maze of alleys.
Paris Running Races
The big ones are of course the marathon and the half marathon. Go! Running Tours selected and introduced the best ones in the Paris Running Races 2019 blog post.
Paris Running Routes
Paris inspires numerous running route tracks. Here are two simple & local ones which are far enough away from the bustle of the city yet still close enough to the heart of Paris.
Coulée verte René-Dumont
The Promenade Plantée mixes areas of wild vegetation that has sprung up alongside a former railway line with more modern landscaped areas. It begins behind the Bastille opera house and runs above avenue Daumesnil to the Jardin de Reuilly: it is the famous Viaduc des Arts. The Allée Vivaldi comprises the shopping part of the walkway. Then, it ends at Porte Dorée*. An extraordinary journey along 4.5 km planted with many types of lime and hazelnut trees, vines, rosebushes and other plants. The run gives you the opportunity to admire various remarkable views of the most modern and typical parts of the 12th arrondissement.
Opening times : everyday from 8am (9am on weekends) to 5:30pm (winter) or 9:30pm (summer).
Note : Avoid on sunny Sunday afternoon
* Runners can keep going through the Bois de Vincennes for a longer run.
Canal Saint-Martin
Both sides of the canal banks extend over 10 km. The canal links the Port de l’Arsenal to the La Villette canal. Its course through working class areas are punctuated with locks, swing bridges, Venetian-style footbridges, and are lined with chestnut trees & squares.
Opening times : 24 hours
Paris Running Clubs
Paris running clubs suit all tastes. If you are looking for performance conditions, you’ll find the 2 busiest ones: PUC Athlétisme and Stade Francais Athlétisme.
If you exclusively prefer running through the Parisian arrondissements, you’ll definitely find relaxed and friendly running groups depending on where you stay.
Paris Running Stores
You can easily find running stores no matter where you stay. That being said, Go! Running Tours Paris suggests the Asics stores for the widest range of technical running gear. Moreover, we are currently trialling a partnership with Asics, which means that all of our customers receive a 30% discount on all Asics products – both in the physical stores in Paris and also on asics.com from Europe locations.
Online, simply use the discount code GORUN30. In the Asics stores*, simply bring your Go! Running Tours booking confirmation and show it to the local staff. Easy!
*Be careful! The Onitsuka Tiger store has exclusively Asics urban gear.
Paris Climate
Parisian runners are ready to hit the ground whatever the season, as temperatures are never extreme enough to avoid a run. The best period to run is still from April to September as it varies from cloudless to sunny days and from mild to warm temperatures. Runners also appreciate the city of lights during the colorful Autumn. The winter has an average temperature of 4°C from December to February, with the city keeping it’s charm, especially when Christmas illuminates the French Capital.
Paris Go ! Running Tours Experience
Authentic, informal, fun, social, cultural, healthy and unique… Get beneath the surface of the city, live a Parisians’ daily life and get ready to let go !
Happy Running,
