Avignon Marathon

The Avignon Marathon debuted on September 27, 2026, as the first marathon and half marathon staged inside the ramparts of Avignon, the walled Provençal city crowned a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its 14th-century Palais des Papes. Runners start on Boulevard Saint-Roch in front of the Avignon Centre train station, pass the Hôtel de Ville, the Opéra Grand Avignon, and the Palais des Papes itself, then cross the historic Pont Saint-Bénézet (the Pont d'Avignon of the folk song) onto Île de la Barthelasse, Europe's largest river island, following the ViaRhôna cycle path along the Rhône to a riverside finish near the Barthelasse leisure center. The course is intentionally flat, gaining only about 80 meters over the full marathon distance, and is marketed to fast-time seekers as much as sightseers. Organized by Provence Sport Organisation with the City of Avignon, and covered by regional press La Provence and Vaucluse Matin, the inaugural race capped entries at 3,500 bibs split between the marathon and half marathon; both distances sold out within a month of registration opening in October 2025, ten months before race day, and a waitlist is now the only way in. Race weekend includes Friday and Saturday bib pickup at the Église des Célestins partner village, with the marathon starting at 8:30 a.m. and the half marathon at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2026.