3 half marathons to run in France

The half marathon is a 21.0975 km long race that allows you to discover the world of endurance. It is a bit of a gateway to the world of endurance running. It is also almost an obligatory step towards the legendary distance of the Marathon. For many runners, this can be the distance they prefer because it is easier to recover from a half marathon than a marathon. In France, there are a huge number of half marathons organized each year in all regions of the country. You are really spoiled for choice. We present three that we have selected because they are each unique for a very different reason. You will be able to discover three courses: the most rolling, the hardest and the most beautiful.

Lille Half Marathon: the fastest

The Lille Half Marathon takes place in March in the heart of the capital of the Hauts de France region. Its flat and fast course attracts very high-level runners every year. On the 21.095 km course, the positive elevation gain is only 98 m and the negative elevation gain is 97 m. The race welcomed 7,500 runners during the last edition. The event record is 59 minutes and 5 seconds for men and 1 hour 6 minutes and 57 seconds for women. For comparison, the world record for men is 57 minutes and 31 seconds and was set in Lisbon in 2021. For women, it is 1 hour 2 minutes and 52 seconds and was set in Valencia the same year in 2021. If you are looking to achieve a good performance in a half marathon, Lille is a destination to favor in France to go for a time.

https://semimarathondelille.com/​​

Mont Ventoux Half Marathon: The Hardest Part

A radical change of scenery for this second half-marathon in our Top 3 in France. We head south to visit the giant of Provence, the famous Mont-Ventoux. The Mont Ventoux half-marathon takes place in July. It is a very demanding race with no less than 1610 m of positive elevation gain and a summit finish at 1912 m above sea level. The average gradient is 7.5% and it reaches up to 11.5% on the steepest section. As the Mont Ventoux half-marathon takes place in July, the heat can also be part of it to make the event even more difficult. The record for the Mont-Ventoux half-marathon is 1 hour 29 minutes and 10 seconds for men and 1 hour 48 minutes and 5 seconds for women. The start is from Bédoin, the village famous in particular among cyclists who set out to climb the giant of Provence. The Mont Ventoux Half Marathon is considered the toughest not only in France but also in Europe. So, be brave if you decide to take on this challenge and climb Mont Ventoux by running 21 km of demanding ascent on this unique and majestic mountain.

https://www.semi-montventoux.com/ ​​​​

Marseille – Cassis: the most beautiful

Marseille-Cassis is not strictly speaking a half-marathon since the distance to be covered is 20 km. But it was unthinkable not to include this race in the Top 3 half-marathons (or 20 km) in France. These are very close distances and Marseille-Cassis takes place in such a beautiful environment in the Calanques National Park (on 12 of the 20 kilometers) that we had to include it in this selection. The race traditionally takes place every year on the last Sunday of October. As the name of the race indicates, the route consists of starting from Marseille next to the Olympique de Marseille stadium and reaching Cassis. The route is split into two parts with first a gradual climb on the first half of the event to reach the Col de la Gineste at an altitude of over 300 m around the ^10th kilometer and then a long descent on the second half to reach Cassis. This race is already in its ^45th edition since it was created in 1979. It is a very popular event with no less than 20,000 registered while the first event had only 700 participants. The record for the event is 57 minutes and 18 seconds for men and 1 hour 5 minutes and 58 seconds for women. Marseille-Cassis is an exceptional course and also a unique atmosphere.

https://www.marseille-cassis.com/fr/

Three unique half-marathons or 20 kms in France from the most rolling in Lille to the most beautiful between Marseille and Cassis, including the most difficult on the slopes of Mont Ventoux. From the north of France through Provence and up to the Mediterranean coast, you have the choice between three very beautiful events.