Big-city marathons running now
Two major city marathons are happening this weekend: the 49th Paris Marathon held on April 12 expected about 60,000 runners, with TV and streaming coverage scheduled ( ). Milan’s 24th Marathon also ran on April 12, starting at 8:15 a.m. from Corso Sempione and finishing in Piazza del Duomo with about 15,000 participants and city transport adjustments reported ( ).
Paris and Milan both put major city marathons on the streets Sunday, April 12, with roughly 60,000 runners expected in Paris and more than 15,000 in Milan. (ratp.fr, milano.repubblica.it) Paris is staging the 49th Schneider Electric Marathon de Paris on a 42.195-kilometer course through the capital, with the race set for Sunday and live coverage scheduled on French television and streaming platforms. (sortiraparis.com, schneiderelectricparismarathon.com) The Paris route starts on the Champs-Élysées and finishes on Avenue Foch after passing landmarks including Place de la Bastille, the Seine quays and the Bois de Boulogne. (schneiderelectricparismarathon.com, parisselectbook.com) Milan’s Wizz Air Milano Marathon held its 24th edition Sunday with an 8:15 a.m. start from Corso Sempione and a finish in Piazza del Duomo on a point-to-point course rather than the old loop layout. (milanomarathon.it, milanomarathon.it) Milan organizers said entries for the marathon itself were near 12,000 well before race day, including almost 8,000 international runners, while relay events were expected to bring in thousands more. Local reporting on Sunday said more than 15,000 runners were expected at the start line. (milanomarathon.it, milano.repubblica.it) Both races turn central city streets into daylong event corridors. In Milan, road closures were scheduled from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. along the course, and multiple Azienda Trasporti Milanesi bus and tram lines were diverted. (milano.repubblica.it) Paris built a spectator plan around public transport, with Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens promoting a special “Ligne 42km” guide and saying nearly 60,000 runners would take part in France’s biggest race. (ratp.fr) The scale reflects how spring marathons now function as both elite races and mass-participation city events. Paris is one of Europe’s largest marathons, and Milan markets itself as Italy’s fastest marathon while shifting its finish to the Duomo for 2026. (se.com, milanomarathon.it) By Sunday afternoon, the medals, street reopenings and finish-line photos will start replacing the barricades in both cities. (milano.repubblica.it, schneiderelectricparismarathon.com)
