When is the 2026 Course des Lumières Lyon?

On Saturday 7 November 2026. The village opens on Place du Maréchal-Lyautey in mid-afternoon, starts run from 4:30 to 7:00 pm and finishes until 9:30 pm.

Where does the race start, and when?

From the banks of the Rhône, by Place du Maréchal-Lyautey (Lyon 6th district), next to the village; the finish is in the same place. Starts are in waves from 4:30 pm: the timed 10K starts in daylight, the 10 km des Lumières as night falls. The exact time of your wave is sent to you ten days before.

Where and when do you collect your bib?

At the village on Place du Maréchal-Lyautey, on Friday 6 November in the late afternoon or Saturday 7 November in the late morning, with ID and your registration confirmation. An email sent a few days before lets you book your slot. Someone else can collect your bib with a copy of your ID.

Do you need a medical certificate?

Only for the timed 10K: you need a PPS (the FFA health pass) or an FFA licence. Without one, you are moved to an untimed start. The untimed formats need no documents.

Until when can you enter?

Online, until the day before the race at the latest, while places last. No on-site entries.

Course des Lumières (Lyon): how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at intermediate level, Endu builds a 11-week preparation. If your race is closer, the plan compresses phases while keeping the taper; if it's further away, it lengthens the preparation, and when the gap is large the preparation starts right away, gently and at your current volume, before building up.

How many sessions per week?

This example has 4 sessions per week. You choose 3 to 7 training days and the exact days (e.g. Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun): the plan sticks to them.

I'm a beginner, is this plan for me?

The plan adapts to your declared level (beginner to semi-pro): starting volume, progression and intensity change. Endu also offers a "Discovery" mode without a race to build a base first.

Can I follow sessions on my watch?

Yes, on Garmin and COROS. On Garmin, the Endu app (Connect IQ Store) shows today’s session and starts it as a guided workout. On COROS, link your account from your profile: your running, trail and cycling sessions land in the watch calendar. Other brands are not supported yet.

How much does it cost?

14-day free trial, then €7.99/month with no commitment or €59.88/year (€4.99/month). Unlimited objectives and sports.

Course des Lumières (Lyon) 2026: date, course and training plan

10 kmLyon2026 edition: 7 November 2026

The Course des Lumières Lyon is a charity run and walk: every participant carries something that lights up and runs or walks along the banks of the Rhône as night falls, and €10 per ticket goes to the Hospices Civils de Lyon foundation. The 2026 edition is on Saturday 7 November, around Place du Maréchal-Lyautey. New this year: a timed 10K, with a medal, alongside the untimed 5 and 10 km formats.

Your plan for Course des Lumières (Lyon)

A plan set to your level and free days, which adapts to your feedback after each session.

Your goal time?

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Course des Lumières (Lyon) at a glance

Date: 2026 edition: 7 November 2026
Formats: 10 km chronoPlan below — A timed 10 km, two 5 km laps on the banks of the Rhône, little climbing. Daytime start, in waves by pace, with your start time sent 10 days before. Medal and aid on the course and at the finish. From age 16, with a PPS health pass or an FFA licence; without one, you start untimed. €32 for the first 300 entrants, then €36, €40 and €42, including a €10 donation.
10 km des Lumières — Same distance, untimed, starting as night falls, with a light stick. From age 16. Same prices.
5 km des Lumières — An untimed 5 km at nightfall, to run or walk, from age 14 (younger children walk with an adult, child ticket €6). €31 for the first 200 entrants, then €35, €38 and €40, donation included.
5 km des Entreprises — The 5 km in company teams, with tickets ordered by the employer and a dedicated village.
Registration: Online registration only, until the day before the race at the latest while places last; nothing on site. The price rises with the number of entrants and includes a €10 donation to the HCL foundation, with a tax receipt. “Ambassador” option: €12 to €17 pre-registration and at least €100 raised to confirm your place, with a T-shirt, bib delivery and bag drop included. Entries are non-refundable and non-transferable. The timed 10K requires a PPS health pass (at pps.athle.fr) or an FFA licence; the untimed formats need no documents. Bib pick-up at the village on Place du Maréchal-Lyautey on Friday 6 November in the late afternoon and Saturday 7 in the late morning, in a slot booked by email, or home delivery as an option. Bag drop must be booked online (€3) before noon on 6 November; there are no changing rooms or showers on site.
Official website: coursedeslumieres.com/lyon

The 2026 course

Start and finish on the banks of the Rhône, by Place du Maréchal-Lyautey (Lyon 6th district), next to the village. The timed 10K runs two 5 km laps along the river banks, with little climbing; it starts in daylight, in waves by pace. The untimed 10 km and 5 km des Lumières also use the river banks and start as night falls. Aid on the 10 km course and at the finish. The organisers do not publish a detailed map of the loops on their website.

What the race asks of your training

Flat, along the river

Two 5 km laps along the banks of the Rhône, with little climbing: a 10K to run evenly. Key sessions are MAS work in short reps and 10K pace in 1 to 2 km blocks, to hold a strong rhythm without going out too fast on the first lap.

The final weeks

For a race on 7 November, an 8 to 10-week build-up starts in early September. Three weeks out, keep one 10K-pace session and one MAS session a week, and ease off in the final week rather than trying to make up for lost time.

A late-afternoon start

Starts begin at 4:30 pm, in waves, and your start time only arrives ten days before. Do one or two sessions at that time of day to time your last meal, and arrive dressed to run: there are no changing rooms, and bag drop must be booked in advance.

The plan below prepares the 10 km chrono format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week, with race day on 7 November 2026. Aiming for another format? Enter its distance when you create your plan, which will be calibrated on your level, your available days and your feedback after every session.

weeks: 11
sessions: 44
sessions / week: 4
peak week: 4.2 h

Plan structure

Periodised in phases: build the base, move to race-specific work, then taper before the race.

Base
Weeks 1–4 · 4 wk
Build
Weeks 5–7 · 3 wk
Specific
Weeks 8–9 · 2 wk
Taper
Weeks 10–10 · 1 wk
Race week
Weeks 11–11 · 1 wk

Volume progression

Week by week: lighter recovery weeks are built in to absorb the load.

Wk	Phase	Hours	km
1	Base	2.5 h	25
2	Base	2.7 h	26
3	Base	2.9 h	29
4	Base	3.1 h	31
5	Build	3.4 h	35
6	Buildrecovery	2.6 h	26
7	Build	3.6 h	37
8	Specific	3.9 h	40
9	Specific	4.2 h	44
10	Taper	2.5 h	25
11	Race week	2.3 h	23

Sample week — week 7 (Build)

Real sessions from the plan with their targets. Each session is detailed step by step, and can be sent to a Garmin or COROS watch.

MondayEasy
37 min easy
37 min · 6 km
TuesdayHard
5 × 5 min at threshold
1 min jog recovery
55 min · 10.2 km
FridayVery hard
3 × 1 km at MAS
3 min jog recovery
47 min · 8.5 km
SundayEasy
Long run 1 h 18
1 h 18 · 12.6 km

Example generated for a intermediate-level profile (MAS 15 km/h, 4 days available per week). Your plan will depend on your level, availability and feedback.

This plan’s check-up

Pass

A 11-week build (recommended minimum: 6); a longest run never more than 7% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 11% from one week to the next; 87% of the time at easy effort; a taper cutting volume by 45% in race week.

2 worth knowing · 14 checks passed

Remarks

Lighter weeks — 5 loading weeks in a row without a lighter week (up to week 5).
Strength training — No strength session.

The 14 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 11 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 6).
Sessions per week — 4 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises at most 11% from one week to the next (a signal appears beyond 20%).
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 7% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Weight of the long run — The long run keeps a reasonable share of the week.
Intensity distribution — About 87% of the time at easy effort: the most common distribution among trained endurance athletes.
Demanding sessions — No more than 2 demanding session(s) a week: suited to the level.
Hard days back to back — Demanding sessions are separated by easy days.
Rest days — At least one rest day a week.
Easy run pace — Easy runs are truly easy (slower than 5:43/km).
Race-specific work — 4 race-specific sessions in the last block.
Taper — Volume drops 45% in race week.
Intensity during the taper — Short race-pace efforts remain in the last two weeks.
Frequency during the taper — The number of sessions stays close to usual (100%).

Endu runs its own plans through the plan check open to everyone: same public rules, same thresholds, same sources. The rules and their sources, and a check of your own plan.

Why this plan works

Science-based periodisation

Base → build → specific → taper, with a recovery week every 3 to 4 weeks. Load goes up, but never two hard weeks in a row without a breather.

Paces, not vague feelings

Every session has target zones (pace, HR) computed from your MAS or a reference performance. A MAS test is built into the plan if you don't know yours.

A plan that listens

After each session you rate how it felt (RPE). Too hard? The plan eases what follows. Skipped a session? It reschedules or absorbs it.

On your watch

On Garmin with the Endu app, on COROS by direct sync: the guided workout shows up on your wrist, step by step.

Reviews

What our users say.

4.8/5

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Thomas · Running
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Camille · Running
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Julien · Running
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Émilie · Trail
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Nicolas · Trail
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Julie · Trail
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Laura · Swimrun
“For triathlon, having all three sports in the same schedule really makes my life easier. I spend less time organising my training and I still enjoy following it just as much.”
Maxime · Triathlon
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Sarah · Triathlon

Your plan, not a template athlete's

This plan is generated for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week. Yours will be calibrated on your MAS, your available days and your feedback after every session. 3 minutes. 14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Create my plan for Course des Lumières (Lyon)