That's it, you've got your number for the legendary Marathon pour tous race - or you've just got it in the draw - and it's time to start your preparation. Even for amateur runners, nothing can be left to chance (or almost) on the ultimate distance, and it's vital to be physically ready for such a long and demanding race.
When you set out on a race with the aim of completing a marathon, you'll need to have already run a few 10 km or half-marathons, to get your body used to regular running. That doesn't mean you can't add a good 12-week preparation period, with 3, 4 or 5 training sessions a week for the most motivated.
To help you prepare, several Fédération Française d'Athlétisme (FFA) running coaches have prepared training plans, which you can select according to your objectives: to be a finisher, a time target... With long planned outings, splits, hill sessions and jogging, the plans will enable you to set off at the peak of your form. To prepare yourself as well as possible for the conditions on D-day, you should also opt for sessions run in the evening, at night.
Regular running requires the same muscles, which are put to the test: the whole of the lower limbs are particularly used with each stride. To avoid and prevent injuries, couple your 3 or 4 weekly sessions with two strengthening sessions (even 30 minutes is enough) combining sheathing, abs... You can easily find strengthening routines for runners on Youtube, for example.
On a distance as demanding as the marathon, nothing can be left to chance and everything must be tested beforehand. Hydration, nutrition strategy... It's vital to test your gels, bars, compotes and other energy drinks beforehand, to make sure they won't cause you any digestive problems or nausea (which can lead to many withdrawals if you don't take this into account), to hydrate yourself on each of your running outings and, above all, to wear the outfit you plan to wear on D-day during a long outing beforehand. Indeed, any seams or discomfort associated with wearing your clothes can quickly turn into injury, given the amount of friction involved in the marathon distance.
To support you, Paris 2024 also offers the Marathon pour tous Paris 2024 app, free to download for iOs or Android.
Once you've taken care of all the details, don't forget to have fun! If you're lucky enough to be at the start of the marathon for all, you're about to experience a historic moment- the first marathon open to all runners in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games! So, whether you're aiming for a time or not, have as much fun as you can, enjoy the cheers and push yourself to the finish line.
Dates and Opening Time
On August 10, 2024
Location
City Hall of the 4ᵉ arrondissement of Paris
2 Place Baudoyer
75004 Paris 4
Official website
marathonpourtous.paris2024.org
