Nantes, France · 42.195 km road marathon
Nantes Marathon 2027
Sunday 25 April 2027
A point-to-point city marathon from the Machines de l'Île to La Beaujoire, with a western loop run twice and a finish across the Erdre on a 324 m floating pontoon.
Nantes Marathon at a glance
- Start
- 09:15 in waves by time block, Nefs des Machines de l'Île, Île de Nantes
- Finish
- Hall XXL, Parc des Expositions de la Beaujoire
- Course
- Point to point over the Loire and up the Erdre, with a western loop run twice (2026 route)
- Elevation
- Between 4 and 38 m above sea level
- Time limit
- 5 h 45 at 8:10 per km or faster; gun or chip basis not stated
- Cut-offs
- km 5 at 41 min, km 10 at 1 h 22, km 15 at 2 h 03, km 21 at 2 h 52, km 30 at 4 h 05
- Entry
- Open, capped at 7,000; the 81 euro band was on sale at the last check, plus service fees
- Bib pickup
- La Beaujoire, Friday 15:00 to 19:00 or Saturday 10:00 to 19:00; no race-day pickup
- Aid stations
- About every 5 km and at the finish
Checked against the organizer's pages on 24 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.
Nantes Marathon course map and elevation
Point to point over the Loire and up the Erdre, with a western loop run twice (2026 route). Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.
› running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Route drawn by TrailSplits from published race information; approximate. For illustration, not navigation.
What to expect on the course
- Start loop on the Île de Nantes, then over the Loire's southern arm and back by the Pirmil and Senghor bridges around km 5 to 8
- Parc de Procé, Place Graslin and Place Royale twice, around km 13 to 20 and again km 29 to 36
- Between the two passes: the Île de Versailles, the cathedral, the Jardin des Plantes and the Château des Ducs de Bretagne
- From km 36 north along the Erdre past Petit Port, then the 324 m Traversante pontoon near km 42, where stopping is forbidden
The map follows the 2026 course drawn along the streets; the organizer has not yet published the 2027 route.
Read the full course description
A point-to-point city course from the Nefs of the Machines de l'Ile on the Ile de Nantes to the Parc des Expositions de la Beaujoire, measured by FFA judges and holding the FFA Argent label. The 2027 route is not yet published. On the 2026 course the first 12 km loop the western Ile de Nantes, cross the Loire's southern arm and come back over the Pirmil and Senghor bridges around km 5 to 8, and reach the northern bank around km 10. A western loop is then run twice, around km 13 to 20 and km 29 to 36: along the Loire quays, north through Canclaux to the Parc de Proce, back past Place Graslin and Place Royale and up to the Erdre. Between the passes the course visits the Ile de Versailles, the cathedral, the Jardin des Plantes and the Chateau des Ducs de Bretagne. From km 36 it follows the Erdre north past Petit Port and, near km 42, crosses the river on the Traversante, a 324 m floating pontoon from the Joneliere where stopping is forbidden. The organizer publishes no climb figure. Aid stations with water, sweet drink, fruit and sugar stand about every 5 km and at the finish, and pacers run for each block from 3:00 to 4:15.
Source, licence and file
TrailSplits reconstruction of the published route. Course: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · original source · Download reference GPX (43.8 km in the file). Approximate terrain-model heights added by TrailSplits, sampled and smoothed at roughly 100 m intervals. Buildings, bridges and small road gradients are not surveyed road elevations.Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved.
Three decisions to make before race day
Collect your bib at La Beaujoire on Friday or Saturday
Bibs are given out only at La Beaujoire on Friday 23 April 15:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 24 April 10:00 to 19:00. Nothing on race day or by post; a friend can collect with your papers.
More detail
Bibs are handed out only at the Village in the Parc des Expositions de la Beaujoire, on Friday 23 April 15:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 24 April 10:00 to 19:00, against ID and the pickup card emailed a few days before. Nothing is issued on race day or posted. A friend may collect with your licence or PPS, your pickup card and a copy of your ID.
Reach the Ile de Nantes start early, from the Esplanade des Riveurs
Enter the start only from the Esplanade des Riveurs, arrive by 08:40 and be in your block 30 minutes before the start. Blocks leave in waves 1 to 2 minutes apart, and bags come back at La Beaujoire.
More detail
Building work around the Machines de l'Ile means the start area is entered only from the Esplanade des Riveurs, and the organizer asks marathoners to arrive by 08:40 and stand in their block 30 minutes before the start. Blocks run from elite to over 4:15 and leave in waves 1 to 2 minutes apart. The bag drop takes only small backpacks or tote bags, returned at La Beaujoire.
Hold 8:10 per km or better from the first kilometre
The cut-offs follow an even 8:10 per km, from km 5 to the 5 h 45 finish, so nothing can be banked. The basis is not stated, so late-wave runners should keep a margin.
More detail
The cut-offs follow an even 8:10 per km, from 41 min at km 5 to 4 h 05 at km 30 and 5 h 45 at the finish, so nothing can be banked. The rules do not say whether the clock starts at the gun, but in 2026 the Erdre reopened to boats at 15:00, 5 h 45 after the gun: late-wave runners should keep a margin.
Your race-day sheet
Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Nantes.
ESTIMATED FINISH
13:15:00
MOVING PACE BUDGET
5:34/ km
ELAPSED PACE
5:41/ km
105 min below the modelled finish limit
| Distance | Elapsed | Local clock |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 00:28:26 | 09:43:26 |
| 10 km | 00:56:53 | 10:11:53 |
| 15 km | 01:25:19 | 10:40:19 |
| 20 km | 01:53:45 | 11:08:45 |
| Halfway | 02:00:00 | 11:15:00 |
| 25 km | 02:22:12 | 11:37:12 |
| 30 km | 02:50:38 | 12:05:38 |
| 35 km | 03:19:05 | 12:34:05 |
| 40 km | 03:47:31 | 13:02:31 |
| Finish | 04:00:00 | 13:15:00 |
Training plan for Nantes Marathon 2027
A free week-by-week plan dated to this race. It starts from a stated default (weekly distance, longest recent run, days a week) that you can change; nothing is read from your watch or training history. It does not use the finish-time target above.
View my training planNo account required. Keep a fixed copy, download the calendar or get a subscription URL for Google or Apple Calendar.
Entry, bib pickup and rules
- Entry:
- Open, capped at 7,000; the 81 euro band was on sale at the last check, plus service fees
- Bib pickup:
- La Beaujoire, Friday 15:00 to 19:00 or Saturday 10:00 to 19:00; no race-day pickup
Read the full entry and pickup rules
Entry opened to everyone on 22 September 2026 at 12:00 on the organizer's njuko platform, after priority windows for 2026 volunteers and Loire-Atlantique FFA club members; there is no ballot. The field is capped at 7,000, and the 2026 marathon sold out. Bands of 61, 71, 81 and 91 euro apply in turn, plus service fees, with 5 euro off for FFA licence holders; on the check date the 81 euro band was on sale, and the 400 Premium places cost 179 euro. Runners must be born in 2007 or earlier and hold an FFA licence or the FFA PPS health certificate, which foreign runners need too. Transfers cost 6 euro until 22 April 2027, and cancellation cover is bought at entry.
Sources
Checked 24 September 2026; next review due 2026-11-08. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.
- Marathon page
- 2027 regulations (reglement)
- FAQ (bibs, start and finish tabs)
- 2027 entry calendar and entry platform
- 2026 course news and road-closure plans
- Erdre crossing notice (2026)
What each source confirms
- Marathon page: Sunday 25 April 2027 at 09:15 from the Nefs des Machines de l'Ile to the Parc des Expositions de la Beaujoire, 7,000 bibs, price bands and Premium price, FFA-measured distance and Argent label, aid every 5 km, race clocks at halfway and km 30, the 5 h 45 limit, the Traversante, and the 2027 route marked as still to come.
- 2027 regulations (reglement): The 24 and 25 April 2027 weekend, 42.195 km, age rule (born 2007 or earlier), FFA licence or PPS for all including foreign runners, price bands, 6 euro transfers until 22 April 2027, no race-day bib pickup, aid stations, the 5 h 45 limit, the 8:10 per km minimum pace, cut-offs at km 5, 10, 15, 21 and 30, and the closing bicycle and shuttle.
- FAQ (bibs, start and finish tabs): Bib pickup at the Beaujoire Village on Friday 23 April 15:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 24 April 10:00 to 19:00, collection by a third party, the 09:15 marathon start, access via the Esplanade des Riveurs, arrival by 08:40, time blocks and pacers, wave starts 1 to 2 minutes apart, bag drop rules and the Hall XXL finish.
- 2027 entry calendar and entry platform: Priority windows from 14 September 2026 and general entry from 22 September 2026 at 12:00; the linked njuko platform (in.njuko.com/abalonemarathondenantes2027) listed the marathon at 81 euro and Premium at 179 euro on 24 September 2026. The /inscription-marathon page adds the cancellation cover sold at entry.
- 2026 course news and road-closure plans: The 2026 closure plans show the course through the Ile de Nantes, over the Pirmil, Senghor, Tabarly and Tbilissi bridges, through the centre, Proce, the Jardin des Plantes, the Ile de Versailles, Petit Port and the Joneliere; the post /post/les-parcours-2026-toujours-au-coeur-de-nantes says the 2026 route passed closer to the cathedral and the chateau.
- Erdre crossing notice (2026): The 324 m Traversante from the Joneliere nautical base to the Parc des Expositions, runners only, no stopping, and the time limit tied to reopening the Erdre to boats at 15:00.