Tout Rennes Court, La Bicentenaire, Paris Run for All... Why are free running races so rare in France?

When we first started looking into free races, the Marathons.com editorial team had no preconceived idea of what we would find. But it quickly became clear that free running events are more than just rare in France: they are exceptional. In the end, we identified three major official races that still put free entry first (see below). The best known of them, Tout Rennes Court, has been hugely popular since it was launched in 1982.

At the time, the city council wanted to create an event open to as many people as possible, reaching every part of Rennes. Tout Rennes Court is still fighting to preserve its free-entry model. With success: more than 32,000 participants lined up for the 2025 edition. Impressive figures that put the race among the leading events in France. Free can go hand in hand with quality. For Damien Lahaye, race coordinator for COURSSS (the Rennes Union Committee for Sport, Health and Solidarity), itself run by CPB Rennes and ASPTT Rennes, free entry is the very reason the race exists.

The race was launched in 1982 with the ambition of creating an event that would be as popular as possible, bringing all the people of Rennes together. Everyone involved in organising it is determined to keep it free, even though the issue has been questioned in the past for obvious budgetary reasons. Today, the race is in very good shape, and the synergy between all the public and private partners is working.

This brings us to another important aspect of free entry at these major races: how they are organised. « To me, that is the great strength of being free: it forces everyone to pull in the same direction. And we manage to do it. Tout Rennes Court is a genuine local celebration, and everyone pitches in. The city of Rennes helps us enormously beyond its financial support, notably by lending equipment, and the work of the municipal teams, who are deeply involved in the race, is extraordinary. Mission-driven companies have joined us in recent years. They identify with the race's model, our desire to support the local community and our determination to do better environmentally... One example? Launching a food area supplied exclusively by local producers was a real success; everyone appreciates it ». The way the event is funded has evolved too, keeping pace with the times.

Damien Lahaye is pleased that « of the race's €280,000 budget, private funding now accounts for a larger share than public funding ». The organisers of the Rennes race are even considering increasing the field size from 2026, proof that the model can deliver despite free entry. The only slight downside is the introduction of the Health Prevention Pass, which is mandatory for taking part in a race in France: « Even though the cost is reasonable (editor's note: €5 for one year), it's not great news for us. We hope it won't put too many runners off, especially those who might only run once a year. »

Tout Rennes Court