Paris Marathon 2016: Route, Course Map, Times, Event Details
Meseret Mengistu and Mark Korir will be seeking to make history at the 2016 Paris Marathon on Sunday, as they each return to the event to defend their titles from last year.
Both runners excelled in the womenโs and menโs race, respectively, in 2015 around this iconic route and will be tough to beat again 12 months on. But history dictates that such is the standard of athlete this race attracts, itโs extremely difficult to win in Paris back-to-back.
With that in mind, all the ingredients are in place for a brilliant day of distance running on the streets of the French capital. Here are some key details ahead of this one, including information about the course, the start times and a closer look at how the races are poised to pan out.
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Date: Sunday, April 3
Time: 8:45 a.m. (Local), 7:45 a.m. (BST), 2:45 a.m. (ET)
A map of the race route in full is available on the eventโs official website.
Race Preview
Beginning at the top of the majestic Champs-Elysees, the runners will immediately feel immersed in the culture of this wonderful city as they begin their 26.2-mile journey.
On the course, competitors will also be able to take in other notable landmarks, sweeping past the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower before coming to a conclusion on Avenue Foch. Itโs one of the most scenic races on the planet and, as such, the Paris race attracts a massive demographic of competitors, with 54,000 runners set to take part.
Thatโs something the event organisers cherish. As their official Twitter feed illustrates here, ahead of the race theyโve set up a wall that includes the name of every single entrant in 2016:
Additionally, they also noted that itโs an event that is attracting a fair degree of interest from all over the world:
Still, the battles at the front of the field are whatโll excite many spectators who line the Parisian streets on Sunday morning. And itโs evident from the elite start lists that there is going to be some fascinating racing.
Korir was an impressive winner in this even last year, posting a time of two hours, five minutes and 49 seconds. It was a tremendous day for the Kenyan, notching his first-ever major marathon win and setting a personal best by about two minutes in the process.
Mengistu also shone in the capital, holding off fellow Ethiopian Amane Gobena to take the title in a time of 2:23:26. As we can see here, despite having run a punishing 26.2 miles, the womenโs race ultimately came down to just a few metres:
If Korir and Mengistu were to defend their titles concurrently, it would be the first time ever in the raceโs history thatโs happened. Either runner winning again would be hugely impressive; Steve Brace in 1990 and Atsede Baysa in 2010 are the only men and women to have triumphed in the Paris Marathon in successive years.
Korir isnโt in as fine form heading into this yearโs event, posting an average 2:21:19 in his last marathon outing, meaning another win looks unlikely. Additionally, heโll be part of a field that contains nine men with a best faster than 2:07, including Kenyaโs Bernard Koech, who has a personal best of 2:04:53.
Mengistu also wonโt have things her own way in Paris. Sheโs not been able to reach the standards she set in this event last year for the past 12 months, with compatriots Gulume Tollesa and Dinkinesh Mekash showcasing better form at the recent Frankfurt Marathon. But the reigning champion will be hoping the positive memories of this circuit can spark a return to form.
Figures and statistics courtesy of the IAAF website.
