Your plan in four answers
20 km de Paris has not announced its next date, so we have estimated October. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- 20K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Field
- About 33,000 runners expected for the 2026 edition
Course
The 20 km de Paris course
The start is on the Pont d'Iéna and the finish is at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, with a 9:00 start in waves of 500 runners every two minutes. From the river the route climbs gently past the Trocadéro toward the Arc de Triomphe, which is the main uphill effort, then heads into the Bois de Boulogne along the Allée de Longchamp and Allée de la Reine Marguerite, past Roland-Garros and Porte Molitor.
Read the full course notes
The second half comes back through Porte de Saint-Cloud and past the Maison de la Radio, then follows the Seine past the Grand Palais, Place de la Concorde and the Tuileries before crossing the Pont Royal and returning along Quai Branly to the tower. Apart from that early rise it is a fast road course, and a fine way to rehearse a half marathon in October.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- 20K
- Field
- About 33,000 runners expected for the 2026 edition
- Weather on race day
- Mid-October in Paris is usually 10–16 °C, often cool and grey at the start, with humidity around 80% and rain on about one day in three. These are good racing conditions, so dress light, bring a throwaway layer for the wave wait and expect damp cobbles near the river.
What to train for
Twenty kilometres is raced just slower than half-marathon pace, so the key sessions are 3 × 5 km or 2 × 8 km at goal pace with short recoveries, plus long runs of 18–22 km.
Save something for the climb toward the Arc de Triomphe in the first few kilometres: practise starting long runs with 3 km uphill at steady effort.
The flat Seine finish suits a progression, so finish some tempo runs with the last 3 km faster than the rest.
Sample week
A sample 20 km de Paris training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 5 × 1 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 8–10 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 11 km with 6 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–19 km easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the 20 km de Paris
Start the taper ten to fourteen days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week.
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Build me a training plan for the Harmonie Mutuelle 20km de Paris in October. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
20 km de Paris training questions
How long should I train for the 20 km de Paris?
Most runners give a 20k twelve to sixteen weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the 20 km de Paris course hilly?
Flat. The start is on the Pont d'Iéna and the finish is at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, with a 9:00 start in waves of 500 runners every two minutes.
What is the weather usually like at the 20 km de Paris?
Mid-October in Paris is usually 10–16 °C, often cool and grey at the start, with humidity around 80% and rain on about one day in three. These are good racing conditions, so dress light, bring a throwaway layer for the wave wait and expect damp cobbles near the river.
When should I start tapering for the 20 km de Paris?
Start the taper ten to fourteen days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week.
Do I need an account to get a 20 km de Paris training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.