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Race course · Boulogne Half Marathon 2026
Boulogne Half Marathon: elevation profile, gain and race strategy
The Boulogne-Billancourt Half Marathon has a reputation as one of the fastest half marathons in France: the best runners finish in under 1:04. It's almost flat, but not quite: there is one hill, in the middle of the Bois de Boulogne, and that's what decides the second half of your race. Here is the course as Runcon reads it, kilometre by kilometre.
Updated 19 October 2026 · race on Sunday 15 November 2026
Race facts
| Date | Sunday 15 November 2026, single start at 10:00 |
|---|---|
| Start | 117 avenue Victor-Hugo, Boulogne-Billancourt |
| Finish | In front of the town hall, rue André-Morizet |
| Distance | 21.1 km, measured by the FFA (French Athletics Federation) |
| Stated elevation gain | 124 m D+ |
| Altitude | From 26 to 54 m |
| Time limit | 3 hours |
| Runners | 13,000 maximum (12,000 in 2025) |
| Entries | Sold out, official bib resale between runners |
The course profile, analysed by Runcon
Here is the course as Runcon displays it when you add a race: each stretch is coloured by the effort it takes on the road. The route is the one published on the official page of the 2026 edition. The vertical scale starts at 0 m to show the terrain as it really is: modest.
OpenRunner route published on the official website, with elevations every 100 m. This survey is smoother than the organiser's: Runcon measures 93 m of D+ where the official race page states 124 m. Both say the same thing: 28 m between the lowest and highest points. The dotted lines mark the three aid stations: km 4.9 and 10.6 from the official map, km 15 from the race rules.
Zero steep climbs, just one real hill
Runcon's briefing looks for steep climbs and descents (over 6% on the road) and for uphill false flats, the gentle drags that wear you down without you noticing. On the Boulogne Half, it finds none:
The only stretch that isn't flat is a moderate climb around km 10: about 12 m gained over one kilometre, including 300 m at around 2.5%, as you enter the upper part of the Bois de Boulogne. The course then stays up high until the high point (54 m, around km 14.7), then drops about 14 m between km 15 and 16. Nothing hard, but it's the only place where your pace will shift without you deciding it.
The three parts of the course
| Part | Km | D+ | D− |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulogne and the banks of the Seine | 0 – 8 | 33 m | 41 m |
| Bois de Boulogne | 8 – 17 | 42 m | 39 m |
| Seine embankments and back into town | 17 – 21.1 | 16 m | 12 m |
Elevation gain (D+) and loss (D−) measured by Runcon on the official route.
1. Boulogne and the banks of the Seine (km 0 to 8): don't get carried away
A loop through town heading south, then along the Seine, slightly downhill overall. With a single start for all corrals at 10:00, the first kilometre is often crowded, then the road opens up and tempts you to go fast. It's the classic trap of a fast course: the seconds you gain here cost you double in the woods. Aim for your target pace, no faster. First aid station at km 5.
2. Bois de Boulogne (km 8 to 17): where the race is decided
Nine kilometres in the woods, with the only climb on the course around km 10, then a long plateau up high until km 15. Two tips: run the climb by effort, not by pace (losing a few seconds on that kilometre is normal and costs you nothing at the finish), then use the descent between km 15 and 16 to pick the pace back up without forcing it. Aid stations around km 10 and 15.
3. Seine embankments and back into town (km 17 to 21.1): the flat finish
Four last flat kilometres along the embankments, then the finish in front of the town hall. You won't feel the 9 m you climb back over these 4 km: if you managed the woods well, this is where you speed up.
Aid stations, start corrals and pacers
According to the 2026 race rules, the aid stations (food and drink) are at km 5, 10 and 15, plus one at the finish. The time limit is 3 hours, which means an average pace of about 8'31" per kilometre.
The start is organised in 11 corrals based on your reference time, from the elite corral (under 1:08) to the mass-participation corrals. Pacers cover targets from 1:30 to 2:05: if you follow one, remember that they will ease their pace on the km 10 climb, just like you.
How fast the front runners go
| Edition | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Félix Bour, 1:03:29 | Augustine Emeraux-Lombard, 1:13:12 |
| 2024 | Aziz Boukebal, 1:03:31 | Mathilde Sénéchal, 1:12:45 |
The men's course record is 1:00:11, set in 2013 by Kenya's Franklin Chepkwony. It's the near-absence of elevation that allows times like these: on this course, your personal best is within reach if you manage the woods well.
Plan your finish time with Runcon
The profile above is what Runcon shows for any race as soon as you drop in its GPX. In the app, you also get an estimated finish time based on your level, your split times kilometre by kilometre and at the aid stations, and a pre-race briefing that tells you where your pace will shift. On a course as flat as Boulogne, that's what stops you from going out too fast.
No GPX yet? Our GPX file guide explains where to find one and how to draw one in the meantime.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Boulogne Half Marathon in 2026?
- On Sunday 15 November 2026, with a single start at 10:00 on avenue Victor-Hugo.
- Is the Boulogne Half Marathon course flat?
- Almost: 124 m of stated elevation gain over 21.1 km, between 26 and 54 m of altitude. Runcon finds no steep climbs or descents. The only hill is a moderate climb around km 10, in the Bois de Boulogne. Details above.
- Can I still sign up?
- At the time of writing, the race is sold out. The only option is the official bib resale between runners, available on the race website.
- Where and when do I collect my bib?
- At the Gymnase de la Biodiversité, 44 rue Marcel-Bontemps, on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November. There is no bib collection on race day: check the times on the official website.
- Do I need a licence or a medical certificate?
- An FFA (French Athletics Federation) licence or, failing that, a PPS certificate (Parcours Prévention Santé, the French online health-awareness course required for non-licensed runners). You must turn 18 during the year of the race.
Sources
- Official half marathon page and 2026 race rules (semi-marathonbb.fr)
- Practical information (semi-marathonbb.fr)
- 2025 results and 2024 results (semi-marathonbb.fr)
Running Boulogne? Plan your pace first.
Drop the GPX into Runcon: you'll know where your pace will shift, and the finish time the course really allows you. Your first 3 analyses are free.