Marathon de La Rochelle
The Lowdown
Founded by local running figure Serge Vigot and officially known as the Marathon de La Rochelle – Serge Vigot, this is one of France's largest marathons after Paris, drawing roughly 9,000 marathon starters (about 16,000 across all events) to the Atlantic port city each late November. The 35th edition runs Sunday, November 29, 2026, with a 9:00am dual start from Quai Maubec and Quai Louis Durand. The course is a fast, quasi-flat two-loop route (two laps of about 21km) tracing the historic Vieux-Port and its three medieval towers (Tour de la Chaîne, Tour Saint-Nicolas, Tour de la Lanterne) along the Atlantic coastline, making it a favorite for personal bests — the men's course record of 2:07:13 has stood since 2011. The event also includes a 10km race, a duo marathon relay, a corporate relay challenge, and adaptive/handisport categories.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Large field
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Excellent spectator turnout
Boston Qualifier
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Vieux-Port (Old Port) of La Rochelle
Tour de la Chaîne
Tour Saint-Nicolas
Tour de la Lanterne
Atlantic coastline / Plage de la Concurrence
Other distances available during the event weekend:
La Rochelle, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
FR
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Open to runners born in 2006 or earlier (minimum age requirement)
Required Documents
- Photo ID
- Valid medical certificate or FFA license (for French entrants)
Entry Methods
- Online registration via the official Marathon de La Rochelle site (Sport-Up)
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Review the official race regulations (Règlement) on the event site before registering
One of France's largest marathons after Paris, with roughly 16,000 total participants across all race formats.
Course is a fast, near-flat two-loop route (2 x ~21km), popular for personal records.
Men's course record: 2:07:13 (John Komen, 2011). Women's course record: 2:23:38 (2021).
2025 edition (34th): won by Elvis Cheboi (2:09:31) and Betty Chepkemoi (2:25:32); about 7,500 marathon finishers of roughly 9,000 starters.
Two intermediate time barriers: 4 hours at the 30km mark, 5h30 overall cutoff.
2026 marathon field capped at 10,000 entries.
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Community
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