Route du Louvre
The Lowdown
Route du Louvre is a point-to-point marathon in France's Hauts-de-France region, running from Seclin to the gardens of the Louvre-Lens museum in Lens. Now in its third decade, the race was created to symbolically link the former mining basin around Lens with the Lille metropolitan area, and the finish inside the museum grounds has become its signature moment. The flat, FFA Silver-labeled course follows part of the Deûle river through Houplin-Ancoisne, Noyelles-lès-Seclin, Emmerin, Don, Meurchin, Vendin-le-Vieil, Annay, and Loison-sous-Lens before reaching Lens. Runners have 5 hours 30 minutes to finish. The event weekend also includes 10K and 5K races starting from Place Jean Jaurès in Lens, plus four walking routes (5.3K, 10K, 14K, and 23K), drawing more than 10,000 participants across all distances. Organized by the Ligue Hauts-de-France Athlétisme, registration for the 2027 edition had not yet opened at the time of writing; recent editions have opened online registration in September and closed the following May.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Excellent spectator turnout
Louvre-Lens museum gardens finish line
Deûle river towpath
Seclin town hall start
Hôtel de Région Hauts-de-France (bib pickup)
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Seclin to Lens, Hauts-de-France, France
FR
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 20 in the year of the race (born before December 31 of race year minus 20)
- Valid medical certificate or FFA license required
Required Documents
- Photo ID
- Medical certificate or valid FFA license, per French road race regulations
Entry Methods
- Online registration via Njuko (in.njuko.com)
- Free in-person registration for Seclin residents at the town hall, subject to bib availability
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Review the official Route du Louvre / Ligue Hauts-de-France Athlétisme registration terms on laroutedulouvre.fr before registering
The 2026 (21st) edition ran May 10, 2026, symbolically linking the Lens mining basin with the Lille metropolitan area
Marathon carries the FFA Silver ('Argent') label; the 10K and 5K carry FFA Bronze labels
Four walking routes offered alongside the races: 5.3K, 10K, 14K, and 23K, starting from Liévin, Lens (Place Jean Jaurès), or the nautical base in Saint-Laurent-Blangy
Free entry for FFA Hauts-de-France league license holders (current season)
2027 edition date and pricing had not been officially announced as of this research (August 2026); the date above is a cadence-based projection
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