Inside the Paris Marathon pack with 57,464 finishers

On Sunday, the 49th Paris Marathon brought 57,464 runners to the finish on Avenue Foch. Its appeal continues to grow, driven by the urge to push beyond our limits together.

Paris caught fire on Sunday. From 8 a.m., the marathoners’ friends and family were already awake. They were still fresh, far less short of breath than the “titans” preparing to swallow up 42.195 kilometres. While the elites wrapped up the race in under 2:30, the rest of the field set off in waves through the capital’s streets, already packed with fired-up supporters. All day long, the crowds roared: signs held high, hands pounding the barriers, deafening shouts, songs and drums at full volume to carry the runners, especially through the final kilometres to the finish.

The emotion built steadily throughout the course, between moments of doubt, distress and sudden bursts of energy. On Avenue Foch, the cheers and tears tasted of relief and pride for the 57,464 finishers. Their weary faces told the story of the challenge they had just overcome. Most had been pushed to their limits: vomiting, rushing to the toilets, clinging to the barriers, collapsing to the ground… It was over. This year’s 49th Paris Marathon also welcomed Koichi Kitabatake, the race’s oldest competitor at 92, who crossed the finish line in 7:21 with a Japanese flag draped over his shoulders.

The 49th Paris Marathon brought 57,464 runners to the finish on Avenue Foch. We were there on the course to tell the story.

Give it everything to say: “I’m a marathoner”

Do you really have to cough up a lung to finish a marathon? Not necessarily, since not everyone crosses the line completely out of breath. But they come close. For some, including comic artist Pénélope Bagieu, it took two attempts to break four hours. This year, she finally reached her target, and pride took over. “Admire the consistency,” she wrote on social media about her pacing. A little hello from Switzerland! Yes, I’m showing off big time, let me have this.” For others, one attempt was enough to hit the time they wanted. Kevin Janvier reached the finish in 2:46, smiling broadly and happy to have experienced this suspended moment, even if he was “dead.”

Almost a third of the field, 29%, were international runners, just as proud to finish in the City of Light. Julie Lajeunesse, beaming from ear to ear, shared her happiness with the other runners. “She’s a champion,” people around her could be heard saying. The 45-year-old Canadian was thrilled to have taken in every sight along the way. She had planned everything in advance, knowing where the course climbed. She made the most of her ninth marathon. “I ran it for myself,” she said, radiant. Now it is time for the record-setting mum, who ran 2:43:30 on Sunday, to rest: “I’m going to enjoy Paris for a few days, because beforehand you’re focused and resting. But I plan to keep running for a long time, because it keeps me mentally and emotionally healthy.”

I ran this marathon for myself. With all my emotions.
Julie Lajeunesse, 45-year-old Canadian

A double dose of love, running from the heart

Around 8,500 runners took part in the marathon to raise money for a charity, identifiable by the small heart on their bib. In total, €8.5 million was raised for more than 300 charities, a record. For many participants, running took on a much broader meaning. Twenty-nine-year-old American Joseph Petro will never forget his first race over the distance. “It was incredible! I love Paris. I’ve been here once before. I had just started running and told myself I’d come back to run the marathon,” said the New Jersey native, still stunned. The emotional first-time marathoner, who ran 3:20, added: “I ran for the American Cancer Society. I lost my grandparents, and my father had cancer this year. He’s doing better now.”

Camille Michaud, a 3:12 finisher, also started with a charity bib for her second marathon. “I was running for CAMI Sport & Cancer, an organisation that develops physical-activity programmes for people living with cancer,” said the 27-year-old pharmacist. I spent a month working with patients with multiple myeloma. It really mattered to me to take part while representing this organisation.”

When things got tough, all they had to do was think about the cause driving them on to find another gear, their minds turning to loved ones affected by cancer or less fortunate children in Cambodia. Justine Vidal ran 4:52 for Enfants du Mékong. Adopted at five months old in 1992, she was overwhelmed with emotion at having made it to the finish.

One marathon, 57,464 stories

Isn’t sharing ultimately the most powerful image of all? Children running ahead of their fathers or mothers sometimes glance back to make sure they are still there. Thousands of friends and family members packed into the finish area, waiting to find the day’s “hero”. Lauriane Legrand was one of them, buzzing with impatience to see her partner. “I put on this magnificent “AymeRicard” T-shirt, which is incredibly tacky and we love it! And now I’m waiting for him because he finished in 2:48,” she said with a smile. Couples in matching outfits held hands. Strangers congratulated one another, grateful to have shared such an intense experience.

A host of well-known figures also lined up, blending into the crowd and pushing themselves like any other runner. Former swimmer Laure Manaudou, cellist Gautier Capuçon and former cyclist Nacer Bouhanni were all there, keeping a low profile in the pack. Among the finishers, some stories commanded respect and even inspired more admiration than those of the famous participants. Lou Riguet, 22, was one of them. Five months into remission from Hodgkin lymphoma, she was delighted to become a marathoner and celebrated her victory over the disease: “This is the best day of my life!” Valentin Vanhaeverbeek ran in tribute to his brother, who died of cancer at 23. Perhaps the marathon is ultimately a way of reminding ourselves that we are fully alive, while others are not so lucky?

See you next year for the 50th anniversary of the Paris Marathon. It will be a symbolic edition for a race that has become iconic and has nearly doubled its number of finishers in 20 years. Some images, such as two runners supporting an exhausted marathoner one kilometre from the finish, will stay with us.

✓ All the results from the 2026 Paris Marathon