Semi-Marathon de Lille

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Lille, Hauts-de-France, France
Oct 25, 2026 at 9:00 AM

The Lowdown

The Semi-Marathon de Lille is an FFA Gold-labeled half marathon through the historic center of Lille, in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, with its next edition on Sunday, October 25, 2026. The race traces back to 1986 as a full marathon, converting to the 21.0975 km half-marathon distance in 1996 after hosting the French national half-marathon championships alongside its final marathon edition in 1995. The organizers describe the course as ultra-flat and fast, running through Lille's city center past the Citadelle de Lille with a finish near Place de la République-Beaux-Arts, and the men's course record of 59:05 (set in 2012) is the fastest half-marathon time ever recorded on French soil. For 2026, the Semi-Marathon de Lille runs for the first time as part of a revived TREK Marathon International de Lille weekend, which brings a full marathon back to the city after a 31-year absence alongside the half marathon and a 10K. Registration for the half marathon opened July 1, 2026 at 35 euros (platform fees excluded, free for licensed Hauts-de-France FFA athletes), and bibs sold out within weeks, well ahead of the official October 4, 2026 registration deadline; a resale platform is available for runners still hoping to get a bib. Finishers must complete the course within 2 hours 30 minutes, with a mandatory 15 km checkpoint cutoff of 1 hour 47 minutes.

Race Day

Weather Forecast

🌥️
fall
cool

Elevation

Terrain Profile

⛰️

Relatively flat course

Participants

Field Size

👥
2,621RUNNERS

Medium-sized race

Crowd Rating

Spectator Support

🎉
7/ 10

Excellent spectator turnout

Course Highlights
1

Citadelle de Lille — course passes the historic star fort

2

Vieux-Lille (historic center) — course runs through the old town

3

Place de la République / Beaux-Arts — finish area

Race Weekend

Other distances available during the event weekend:

Marathon (26.2 miles / 42.2 km)
10K (6.2 miles / 10 km)
Destination

Lille, Hauts-de-France, France

FR

Est. Hotel Cost
$110/ night

Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line

Minimum Age
17years
Time Limit
2 hours 30 minutes

Eligibility

  • Must be born on or before December 31, 2009 (minimum age 17 in race year), per official regulations
  • Medical certificate or valid FFA license required for non-licensed runners

Required Documents

  • Valid photo ID for bib pickup
  • FFA license or medical certificate, per standard French road-race rules

Entry Methods

  • Online registration via the official Marathon de Lille platform (bibs sold out for 2026)
  • Official bib resale platform for runners seeking a sold-out bib

Cancellation & Refund Policy

No general refund policy advertised; bib resale via the official resale platform is the stated option for runners who can no longer participate

2026 marks the marathon's return to Lille after a 31-year hiatus (last full marathon held in 1995); the half marathon has run continuously in most years since 1996 and previously operated under its own site, semimarathondelille.com, before folding into the shared marathon-lille.com platform for the 2026 weekend

Title sponsor for the 2026 weekend is Trek (branded 'TREK Marathon de Lille'), a newly signed sponsorship tied to the marathon's relaunch — not a long-standing name, so kept sponsor-neutral in this record

Organized by the Ligue Hauts-de-France d'Athlétisme with the City of Lille, Métropole Européenne de Lille (MEL), and Département du Nord; other partners include Nike and Caisse d'Épargne

2,621 half-marathon finishers recorded in the 2022 edition (most recent published finisher count); a materially larger field is expected for 2026 given the marathon relaunch and the fast bib sellout, but no official 2026 figure has been published

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