Garmin Triathlon Paris
Paris, France · June · Independent
Course: 1.5 km (0.9 mi) swim, 40 km (24.9 mi) bike, 11 km (6.8 mi) run. Listings disagree: 2023 city page and sportmag give run 10 km (6.2 mi); Miles Republic 2027 listing and tourisme93 give 11 km (6.8 mi). Swim 1.5 km (0.93 mi), bike 40 km (24.9 mi).
Why people love it
- Closed-road bike through central Paris past Bastille, Concorde and the Louvre.
- Swim in a calm canal basin with no tide or swell.
- In 2023 the sprint ran Saturday and the Olympic Sunday, with start and finish in one park.
- Run around La Villette park and the canal looks flat.
- Metro reaches the venue; Charles de Gaulle airport is 25 km (15 mi) away.
Watch out for
- Wet cobbles and 90-degree corners caused many crashes in the 2016 rain.
- Distances differ between listings, and the 2027 date and course are unconfirmed.
- Wetsuits are banned above 24.6 °C (76.3 °F); the 2015 swim was 27 °C (81 °F).
- Late-June heat can hit; extra aid was added in 2015.
- Paris hotels are pricey in June.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 30% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
Racers and press are positive, but first-person reports are from the older Eiffel Tower course; none found for the current park venue. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.6
Good organisation praised in 2016, but a 2015 racer had a bike stolen from transition; no incidents in 2023 with over 5,500 starters. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.1
Dense city course with wet-cobble risk makes the Olympic a bigger step for newcomers. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.7
Flat closed roads over 40 km (25 mi); wet cobbles and corners slow fields in the rain. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalCoin flip2.8
World Triathlon rules ban wetsuits above 24.6 °C (76.3 °F); the 2015 swim was 27 °C (81 °F), and other years are unrecorded. · Low confidence
- Water temperatureAcceptable3.0
The only reading is 27 °C (81 °F) in 2015 at an older venue; current canal temperatures are not published. · Low confidence
- Calm waterGlassy4.5
Enclosed canal basin with no tide or swell; calm swims reported on both the old and new venues. · Low confidence
- Swim easeEasy4.1
1.5 km (0.93 mi) straight canal swim with possible traffic in waves. · Low confidence
- Swim experienceFine3.2
Urban canal swim; the 2015 venue had a weedy bottom, and nothing recent describes the water. · Low confidence
- Swim supportStandard3.0
Wave starts with several hundred swimmers each (2015); lifeguard and boat details for the current venue not found. · Low confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceMixed2.9
City streets with cobbled corners; a 2016 racer saw many falls on wet cobbles. · Low confidence
- Road closuresFully closed4.6
Closed city roads past Bastille, Concorde and the Louvre in reports from 2015, 2016 and 2023. · Medium confidence
- Bike scenerySpectacular4.7
Bike passes Bastille, Place de la Concorde, the Louvre and in 2023 the Eiffel Tower, as reported by press and racers. · Medium confidence
- WindMostly calm4.0
Dense city streets give shelter; no wind complaints in any report. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedFast3.7
Fast roads but corners, bridges and cobbles. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessMostly flat4.2
Estimated under 150 m (500 ft) gain; no published figure. · Low confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts2.6
Many 90 degree turns, bridges and cobbled corners; 2016 report describes numerous wet-corner crashes. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportStrong3.6
Over 5,500 starters in 2023 in the city; nobody has described the crowd on the La Villette run. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.8
2015 racer noted extra aid stations were added in the heat and a generous finish area with food and watermelon. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryPleasant3.4
Parc de la Villette and the Ourcq canal are pleasant rather than spectacular; the old Eiffel Tower run was far more scenic. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsEasy3.8
Paved, little climbing, but late-June heat over a longer run. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessMostly flat4.3
Run around the park and canal looks flat over about 10 to 11 km (6.2 to 6.8 mi). · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Late-June highs are 22 to 27 °C (72 to 81 °F), mornings 14 to 17 °C (57 to 63 °F); heat waves happen. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.2
The 2016 race was wet and 2015 was hot; 2023 was sunny. Summer storms are possible. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.2
The bike passes Bastille, Concorde and the Louvre; the swim and run are in a park and canal basin. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.8
Central, metro-served venue and one start/finish park (2023); no spectator guide found. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
About 35 m (115 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.3
Paris has a very large hotel stock; late June is busy but rarely sold out. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valuePricey2.4
Paris hotels are costly in June, especially near La Villette and the centre. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.8
Start, transition and finish at Parc de la Villette (2023), next to metro lines; hotels are spread across the city. · Low confidence
- Travel easeVery easy4.6
Charles de Gaulle is about 25 km (15 mi) away and the metro reaches the park. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.6
2023 used one park for start, transition and finish; the earlier point-to-point version needed bags and shoe drop the day before. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.7
Paris, with food, culture and sights close to the venue. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Paris, Ile-de-France, France
- Typical month
- June
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 5,500 athletes
- Distances (non-standard)
- 1.5 km (0.9 mi) swim, 40 km (24.9 mi) bike, 11 km (6.8 mi) run
- Swim venue
- Canal de l'Ourcq / Bassin de la Villette, Parc de la Villette (canal)
- Wetsuit
- Optional
- Swim start
- wave
- Run shade
- Park and canal paths, some shade
- Air temperature
- 14–27 °C (57–81 °F)
- Humidity
- moderate
- Altitude
- 35 m (115 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG), 25 km (16 mi) away
- Where to stay
- 19th arrondissement near La Villette, Bastille
- Booking
- Large hotel stock, high prices in June.
What racers and reviewers say
- DC RainmakerRaced 2016 · blog · Positive
Racer did the Olympic on the old point-to-point course finishing at the Eiffel Tower. Packet pickup and bag handling were quick, the one-way swim in a basin was calm, and the draft-legal bike crossed Paris on closed roads. Rain made corners and cobbles slick with many crashes, and the run was two hilly 5 km (3.1 mi) loops. He called the organisation good overall.
- DC RainmakerRaced 2015 · blog · Mixed
Hot edition at the old rowing-lake venue: 27 °C (81 °F) water, no wetsuits, swim waves of 500 to 800, and a draft-legal bike where cooperative packs were rare. The run was about 1 km (0.6 mi) short and a bike was stolen from transition, but the finish food and Eiffel Tower finish impressed.
- SportmagRaced 2023 · article · Positive
Press report on the 2023 two-day edition: sprint on Saturday, Olympic on Sunday, plus a new duathlon. Over 5,500 athletes started in sunny weather, swimming 550 m (0.34 mi) in the Canal de l'Ourcq and cycling past Bastille, Concorde and the Eiffel Tower. No incidents reported.
- EvousRaced 2025 · article · Positive
City-guide listing describing a closed-road bike loop from Parc de la Villette to Place de la Concorde via Republique, Bastille and the Louvre, a run around La Villette and the canal, and several thousand entrants. Notes the 2024 edition was cancelled for the Olympics. Details inconsistent about swim site.
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Sources
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