The 10 Best Half Marathons in France for 2027 (Dates, Courses & How to Enter)

France runs around 350 half marathons a year, and the good ones are very good indeed. The Semi de Paris is one of the largest half marathons on earth. Lille has produced a sub-59-minute winning time. Nice has a course record under an hour. And somewhere in the Médoc, several thousand people run 21 kilometres between wine châteaux while stopping to taste the produce.

That range is the point. French road racing spans genuinely elite city races and events that treat the distance as an excuse for a very long lunch — often in the same season.

Here are ten of the best half marathons in France for 2027, listed in calendar order rather than ranked, because that’s more useful when you’re planning a year.

A note on dates: Paris, Saint-Tropez and Nice are confirmed for 2027. The rest reflect each race’s established slot — French events typically publish six to nine months ahead. Check the official site before booking, and read the section on medical certificates near the bottom before you enter anything.

1. Hoka Semi de Paris — Paris (7 March 2027)

One of the largest half marathons in the world, and the opening act of the French season.

Running since 1993, the Semi de Paris draws upwards of 40,000 runners through the capital every March. The start and finish sit near the Place de la Bastille, with the race setting off along the Boulevard Henri IV. From roughly 5km to 15km the course runs through the Bois de Vincennes, before the final 6km follow the Seine to a finish on the Rue de Lyon.

That mix — city streets, then forest, then river — is unusual for a big-city half, and it’s flat enough to be genuinely quick. Stanley Biwott’s 59:44 from 2012 remains the men’s course record, with Pauline Njeri Kahenya’s 1:07:55 from the same year standing on the women’s side.

The March timing also makes it an ideal tune-up for the Paris Marathon in April.

Best for: A fast course, an enormous field, and the best-known half in France.

Watch out for: Registration for 2027 closes on 30 September 2026 — considerably earlier than most runners expect. Enter well ahead.

2. Semi-Marathon de Saint-Tropez — Var (14 March 2027)

The Côte d’Azur in early spring. Saint-Tropez in March is a very different place from Saint-Tropez in August — quieter, cooler, and considerably more pleasant to run through.

The race runs along the Mediterranean coast and through the vineyards and villages of the Var, with the sea in view for much of it. It’s a mid-sized event with a strong regional following rather than an international field, which is much of the appeal.

Best for: Scenery, mild spring weather, and a race weekend on the Riviera without peak-season prices.

Watch out for: Coastal terrain means it rolls. This is not a flat PB course. It also falls exactly a week after the Semi de Paris — a tight turnaround if you were planning to race both.

3. Semi-Marathon International de Nice — Alpes-Maritimes (18 April 2027)

Fast, flat and beside the Mediterranean. Running since 1992 and organised by Azur Sport Organisation — the same team behind the Nice-Cannes marathon — the Nice half runs along the Promenade des Anglais and the surrounding seafront.

The times tell you what kind of course it is: Bernard Koech’s men’s record of 59:57 and Isabella Ochichi’s 1:08:42 are both properly quick. Flat coastal roads and April conditions on the Riviera are a good combination.

Best for: A spring PB attempt in a genuinely lovely setting.

Watch out for: Wind off the sea, which is the only variable on an otherwise straightforward course.

4. La Grande Course du Grand Paris Saint-Denis — Île-de-France (April)

The most accessible big race in France. This one earns its place on value alone: entries have started from around €8, which for a 21.1km race on closed roads is close to unheard of.

It runs through Saint-Denis and the northern Grand Paris area — the part of the capital region that hosted much of the 2024 Olympics — and offers 21.1km, 10km, 5km and a kids’ race, which makes it a good option if you’re bringing family.

Best for: Budget racing, a family-friendly programme, and a side of Paris most visitors never see.

Watch out for: A less polished production than the Semi de Paris. That’s rather the point.

5. Semi-Marathon de Bordeaux — Gironde (spring)

One of France’s most attractive city courses. Bordeaux’s 18th-century centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the race makes proper use of it — the Garonne quaysides, the Place de la Bourse, and the classical stone frontages that give the city its character.

The course is flat, the city is compact and walkable, and the region needs no introduction if you want to make a weekend of it.

Best for: Architecture, a flat course, and the obvious wine-country extension.

Watch out for: Quayside sections can be exposed if there’s wind off the river.

6. Semi-Marathon de Lille Métropole — Hauts-de-France (September)

The fastest half marathon course in France. Lille doesn’t get the attention of Paris or Nice, and it should.

Established in 1986, the race has produced times that put it in genuinely elite company: Ezekiel Chebii ran 59:05 here in 2012, and Zenebu Fikadu’s 1:06:57 from 2022 is among the quickest women’s times run on French soil.

The field is modest — around 3,000 finishers — which means a fast, uncluttered course rather than a mass-participation crush. If you’re chasing a time rather than an experience, this is the one.

Best for: A serious personal best on a genuinely fast course.

Watch out for: The smaller field means fewer runners at your exact pace to work with. Have a plan for running alone.

7. Semi-Marathon du Médoc — Gironde (September)

The least serious race on this list, and possibly the best day out.

Held in the Médoc wine region north of Bordeaux, this is the half marathon version of an event famous worldwide for its approach to aid stations. The route winds between the châteaux of one of the great wine regions on earth, and the refreshment stations are — let’s say — regionally appropriate.

Fancy dress is effectively expected. Nobody is chasing a time. It is, by some distance, the most French race in France.

Best for: Runners who want a story rather than a split.

Watch out for: September in the Médoc can be hot, and the combination of heat, distance and wine tasting is one to treat with some respect. Hydrate with actual water alongside everything else.

8. Run in Lyon Half Marathon — Rhône (October)

France’s second city and its gastronomic capital. Run in Lyon has grown into one of the country’s biggest autumn race weekends, with the half marathon as its most popular distance.

The course runs through a city built between two rivers — the Rhône and the Saône — taking in the Presqu’île, the quaysides, and views up to Fourvière. October in Lyon delivers reliably good running conditions, and the post-race dining options are, predictably, exceptional.

Best for: A fast autumn city race and the best food of any race weekend on this list.

Watch out for: Lyon has hills. The half marathon course keeps to the flatter riverside sections, but check the profile before assuming.

9. Semi-Marathon du Bois de Vincennes — Paris (October)

Paris without the Paris logistics. Run in the Bois de Vincennes on the eastern edge of the city, this is a quieter, cheaper, more straightforward alternative to the March flagship.

The parkland setting means traffic-free running, autumn colour, and a course that’s flat and repetitive in a way that suits a focused time trial. Entries start from around €35, and there’s none of the crowd management that comes with a 40,000-runner field.

Best for: An autumn PB attempt in Paris without paying Paris prices.

Watch out for: Park loops mean less visual variety. Bring a plan for staying mentally engaged.

10. Semi-Marathon de Boulogne-Billancourt — Hauts-de-Seine (November)

The French PB machine, and a season closer. Held just west of Paris in November, Boulogne-Billancourt has built a reputation as one of the fastest and best-organised halves in the country.

Cool November conditions, a flat course, and a field that skews toward club runners and serious amateurs make it a genuinely quick race. It’s the event a lot of French runners target when they want a time rather than a day out.

Best for: Closing the year with your fastest half.

Watch out for: November near Paris can be cold and wet. Dress for the run, not the start line.

Honourable Mentions

• Marseille-Cassis (October) — one of France’s most famous road races and a genuine institution, running from Marseille over the Col de la Gineste to Cassis. Note that it’s 20km, not 21.1km, so it isn’t technically a half — but if you’re in the south in October, run it anyway.
• Semi-Marathon de Nantes (spring) — a well-run western option
• Semi-Marathon de Toulouse (autumn) — the pink city, and a strong regional field
• Loire Valley château races — several events around Saumur and the Loire châteaux combine running with some of the best scenery in France
• Semi-Marathon de Chantilly — forest and château running an hour north of Paris

Before You Enter: The Medical Certificate

This is the single most important practical thing for anyone racing in France for the first time, and it catches out foreign runners every year.

French races require you to prove you’re medically fit to run competitively. You’ll need either:

• A medical certificate dated less than a year before the race, explicitly stating no contraindication to competitive running (“pas de contre-indication à la pratique de la course à pied en compétition“), or
• A completed PPS (Parcours Prévention Santé) — a health prevention questionnaire — for non-licensed runners

Two things to know. First, the exact wording on a certificate matters — a generic note from your doctor saying you’re in good health will be rejected. Second, the name and date of birth on your PPS must match your race registration precisely.

Sort this weeks in advance, not the night before the expo.

How to Build a French Half Marathon Season

Spring (March-April)

The busiest and best stretch, and in 2027 it’s front-loaded. Paris on 7 March, Saint-Tropez on 14 March — a week apart — then Nice on 18 April, with Bordeaux and Grand Paris Saint-Denis also falling in April.

If you’re targeting the Paris Marathon in April, the Semi de Paris on 7 March is close to a perfect tune-up — roughly five weeks out, which is textbook placement for a hard half before a goal marathon.

Summer (June-August)

Quiet, and hot in the south. Most French runners use this window for base building or head for trail races in the Alps and Pyrenees rather than racing on the road.

Autumn (September-November)

The other strong block, and where the fastest times get run. Lille and the Médoc in September, Lyon and Marseille-Cassis in October, Boulogne-Billancourt in November to close out the year.

A realistic structure

One spring half and one autumn half as genuine A races — Paris in March and Lille or Boulogne-Billancourt in the autumn is a strong pairing — with something like the Médoc as the enjoyable non-goal race in between.

Practical Notes for Visiting Runners

• Sort the medical certificate or PPS early. Worth repeating. It’s the most common reason visiting runners have problems.
• Bib collection is in person at an expo in the days before. French races rarely post race numbers, and there’s typically no race-day collection.
• The TGV makes this easy. Paris to Lyon is two hours, Paris to Bordeaux just over two, Paris to Lille one. Multi-city race trips are genuinely practical.
• Enter Paris by 30 September 2026. The deadline is much earlier than for comparable races elsewhere.
• Some French will help. Race information, announcements and signage are often French-only outside the biggest events.

The Bottom Line

If you want the biggest French race, run Paris on 7 March. If you want your fastest half, go to Lille in September or Boulogne-Billancourt in November. If you want the coast, run Nice. And if you want the day you’ll actually tell people about, run the Médoc and accept that the time doesn’t matter.

France’s strength is that range. Few countries let you run an elite-standard sub-60 course in September and a wine tasting with a race attached the same month.

Get the medical certificate sorted, enter Paris before the September deadline, and pick two races that matter.

Ready to plan 2027? Build your race calendar in RunningLog — add your planned races, set your goals, and keep your whole season in one place.

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