Paris-Saclay Running Tour 2026 adds a marathon to its second edition

A marathon takes the event to the next level

After a first edition that drew around 800 runners, the event organized by the Paris-Saclay urban community is stepping up a gear. The marathon makes its debut on the schedule, with the first start at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, November 8. Runners can take it on individually, in a four-person relay or in a joëlette. For the organizers, it is also a way to showcase the area from one end to the other.

We wanted to create an open, inclusive event that would give everyone the chance to discover Paris-Saclay for the first time, or see it in a new light. We hope this second edition will be as successful as the first, and we are counting in particular on the new marathon to attract new participants.

Five formats, from 1.5K to the marathon

The range of events is broad, making this a good entry point for those who are just starting out or have never pinned on a race bib before:

Sunday’s starts are spread throughout the morning: marathon at 8:30 a.m., four-person relay at 9 a.m., half marathon at 9:30 a.m., two-person relay at 10 a.m., 10K at 11:30 a.m. and 5K at noon.

Inclusion at the heart of the event

The organizers are placing inclusion at the center of these races. Participants with disabilities will not be sent onto a separate course: everyone will share the same routes. All four adult distances are open to joëlette participants, in partnership with the Essonne Departmental Committee for Adaptive Sports, which will also run demonstrations and introductory sessions in adapted sports throughout the weekend. The event welcomes people with physical, sensory, intellectual and psychological disabilities. The poster captures the same spirit with a half-antelope, half-snail chimera: speed on one side, slowness on the other, and the right for everyone to run at their own pace.

Eight towns, between laboratories and trails

Sunday’s courses pass through Gif-sur-Yvette, Saint-Aubin, Saclay, Igny, Vauhallan, Palaiseau and Orsay, as well as Bièvres, according to the organizers’ press release. The races alternate urban sections with stretches through nature, including the Saint-Aubin and Favreuse drainage channels, the Palaiseau state forest and the road from Massy to Saclay through the fields. On the science side, runners pass near École polytechnique, CEA, the new Paris-Saclay hospital, EDF Lab, CentraleSupélec and ENS Paris-Saclay.

Some sections also follow the future Line 18 of the Grand Paris Express, whose public developer, Société des grands projets, supports the event. The start and finish will be set up on Avenue des Sciences in Gif-sur-Yvette, near the future Université Paris-Saclay station.

The sports village, before and after the finish

Open to everyone, the sports village will welcome participants, families and supporters on Saturday and Sunday, with introductions to adapted sports, exhibitors focused on sport and innovation, and food trucks. Activities will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

The sports village will be open to participants, families and supporters on both Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can try adapted sports, grab a bite from the food trucks and meet exhibitors working in sport and innovation. See you in Gif-sur-Yvette on November 7 and 8: antelope or snail, everyone can choose their own pace for this second edition!