The first-ever ballot for the Paris Marathon drew nearly 166,000 applicants from 165 countries. More than 14,000 of them signed up as teams. The 50th edition is scheduled for Sunday, April 4, 2027.
A new model under a new organizer
Until now, Paris sold bibs on a first-come, first-served basis, with tiered prices from €135 to €179. The switch to a ballot coincides with a change of organizer: Cadence Running United replaces Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) for the 2027–2030 editions, according to Marathon Handbook.
The 2027 price list:
| Entry | Price |
|---|---|
| Marathon, standard | €169 |
| Marathon, French federation (FFA) licence holders | €160.55 (−5%) |
| “Passerelle” bibs (job seekers, people on social benefits, grant-holding students) | €50, 1,000 places |
| Charity bibs | €420 fundraising commitment |
| Half marathon (March 7) | €79 |
What are the odds?
The 2026 race had 57,464 finishers from nearly 59,000 starters, and the 2027 field is expected at around 60,000. That is about three applicants per place overall.
The odds in the public ballot itself are lower. Référence Trail counts at least 35,000 bibs in the general-public pool, which puts the chance of selection at about 21%, or roughly 1 in 4.7. The organizer has not published official odds. Selected runners have 72 hours to confirm and pay, and a resale platform opens on December 1.
The money
At €169, the 35,000 ballot bibs alone would represent about €5.9 million in entry fees (Hopone calculation, before licence discounts). Charity places, team packages and the rest of the field come on top.
Paris is still far less oversubscribed than London: the London Marathon’s 2027 ballot drew more than one million entries. But 166,000 applicants for its first ballot shows that Paris can now fill its field without discounting early.
Sources
- Marathon Handbook: 166,000 Runners Chase A Place At The 50th Paris Marathon
- Référence Trail: Marathon de Paris 2027 : quelles chances d’être tiré au sort parmi 166 000 candidats ?
- L'Équipe: Plus de 160 000 personnes se sont inscrites pour tenter d'obtenir un dossard du marathon de Paris
This article was written with AI by the Hopone Newsroom, from the sources it cites. Figures marked “Hopone calculation” are our own arithmetic from those sources. Nothing here is investment advice.