When is the 2027 Nantes Marathon?

On Sunday 25 April 2027, starting at 9:15 am from the Nefs of the Machines de l’Île. The half starts at 8:00 am the same day, and the Foulées de l’éléphant (10K) the evening before at 9:30 pm.

When does registration open for the 2027 Nantes Marathon?

They have been open to everyone since noon on 22 September 2026, after periods reserved for volunteers and Loire-Atlantique clubs. The price rises in steps: €61 for the first 500 places, then €71, €81 and €91. The half and the 10K are already sold out.

What is the Nantes Marathon course?

Start at the Machines de l’Île, then Place Graslin and Place Royale, the Parc de Procé, the Jardin des Plantes, the Île de Versailles and the banks of the Erdre, a crossing of the Erdre on a floating pontoon, and the finish at the La Beaujoire exhibition centre. The detailed 2027 route has not been published yet.

What is the time limit?

5h45, with cut-offs at km 5 (41 minutes of racing), 10 (1h22), 15 (2h03), 21 (2h52) and 30 (4h05). Runners caught by the sweeper bike are out of the race.

Marathon de Nantes: how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at intermediate level, Endu builds a 17-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.

Marathon de Nantes 2027: date, course and training plan

42.2 kmNantes2027 edition: 25 April 2027

The Abalone Marathon de Nantes celebrates its 45th edition on 24 and 25 April 2027: on Saturday evening the Foulées de l’éléphant (a 10K at night), on Sunday the half marathon, the marathon and a company relay. The marathon starts from the Nefs of the Machines de l’Île, crosses the old town, the parks and the banks of the Erdre, then crosses the river on La Traversante, a 324 m floating pontoon, before finishing at the La Beaujoire exhibition centre. In 2026, all 7,000 places were taken.

Your plan for Marathon de Nantes

25 weeks to go: your plan starts this week, set to your level and free days, then adapts to your feedback after each session.

Your goal time?

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Marathon de Nantes at a glance

Date: 2027 edition: 25 April 2027
Formats: MarathonPlan below — 42.195 km, Sunday 25 April 2027 at 9:15 am, from the Machines de l’Île to the La Beaujoire exhibition centre. 7,000 places, FFA Silver label, qualifying for the French championships. Time limit: 5h45, with cut-offs at km 5 (41 minutes), 10 (1h22), 15 (2h03), 21 (2h52) and 30 (4h05). Aid stations every 5 km. Open to runners born in 2007 or earlier. €61 for the first 500 places, then €71, €81 and €91, €5 less for FFA licence holders, plus service fees; Premium entry at €179.
Semi-marathon — 21.1 km, Sunday 25 April 2027 at 8:00 am, same start and finish. FFA Bronze label. Time limit: 2h45. €55; standard places already sold out for 2027, Premium places (€169) still offered, a waiting list announced.
Foulées de l'éléphant — A 10K at night, Saturday 24 April 2027 at 9:30 pm, start and finish at the Machines de l’Île. Time limit: 1h35 under the 2027 rules. €25; sold out for 2027, a waiting list announced.
Marathon Relais Entreprises — The marathon as a relay for teams of four, for companies only: €460 excluding VAT per team, entries until 31 January 2027.
Registration: Registration for 2027 opened in September 2026: from the 14th to the 20th for 2026 volunteers, on the 21st and 22nd for FFA licence holders from Loire-Atlantique clubs, then for everyone on Tuesday 22 September at noon. It is online only, one runner at a time. The half and the Foulées de l’éléphant sold out within hours; the marathon was not shown as sold out on the website in mid-October. Prices go up in steps from €61 to €91 by order of entry. An FFA licence or a PPS health pass is required, including for foreign runners licensed in their own country. Cancellation cover costs €10 and must be taken at registration; otherwise, the bib can be transferred to someone else until 22 April 2027 (€6 fee). Bib pick-up at the race village with the pick-up card sent by email and ID; no bibs on Sunday 25 April.
Official website: marathondenantes.com

The 2027 course

Start from the Nefs of the Machines de l’Île at 9:15 am. According to the organisers, the 2027 course keeps its urban character: Place Graslin and Place Royale, the Parc de Procé, the Jardin des Plantes, the Île de Versailles and the banks of the Erdre. Near the finish, runners cross the Erdre on La Traversante, a 324 m floating pontoon installed for the race, then reach the La Beaujoire exhibition centre. Timing at halfway, km 30 and the finish, aid stations every 5 km. The detailed 2027 map has not been published yet.

What the race asks of your training

A build-up through the winter

To race on 25 April, a 16-week build-up starts in early January: the long runs fall in February and March, often in rain or wind. Keeping them in the plan, even if it means moving them by a day, matters more than the speed sessions.

A city marathon

The course is entirely urban: city-centre squares, parks, cobbled sections, traffic islands and turns. Long runs in town, picking the pace back up after corners, are closer to race day than long straight stretches on a cycle path.

A floating pontoon to finish

Near the finish, La Traversante takes runners across the Erdre on 324 m of floating pontoon, when the legs are heavy. Shorten your stride and look well ahead; finishing a few long runs with two or three kilometres at marathon pace teaches you to stay clear-headed at that stage.

Cut-offs to keep an eye on

The rules require an average of at least 8:10 per km, with cut-offs from km 5. For a first marathon aimed at 5 to 5h30, long runs and marathon-pace sessions should show that you can hold that pace, walking breaks included.

The plan below prepares the Marathon format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week, with race day on 25 April 2027. 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: 17
sessions: 67
sessions / week: 4
peak week: 5.7 h

Plan structure

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

General preparation
Weeks 1–2 · 2 wk
Base
Weeks 3–7 · 5 wk
Build
Weeks 8–11 · 4 wk
Specific
Weeks 12–14 · 3 wk
Taper
Weeks 15–16 · 2 wk
Race week
Weeks 17–17 · 1 wk

Volume progression

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

Wk	Phase	Hours	km
1	General preparation	3.3 h	33
2	General preparation	3.5 h	35
3	Baserecovery	2.7 h	27
4	Base	3.7 h	37
5	Base	3.9 h	39
6	Base	4.1 h	41
7	Baserecovery	3.2 h	32
8	Build	4.4 h	44
9	Build	4.6 h	47
10	Build	4.9 h	50
11	Buildrecovery	3.8 h	39
12	Specific	5.1 h	51
13	Specific	5.4 h	54
14	Specific	5.7 h	57
15	Taper	4.1 h	41
16	Taper	3.2 h	31
17	Race week	2.2 h	22

Sample week — week 9 (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
30 min easy
30 min · 4.8 km
TuesdayHard
3 × 10 min at threshold
2 min jog recovery
1 h 01 · 11.4 km
FridayVery hard
6 × 600 m at MAS
2 min jog recovery
52 min · 9.6 km
SundayEasy
Long run 2 h 13
2 h 13 · 21.5 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 17-week build (recommended minimum: 12); a longest run never more than 8% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 7% from one week to the next; 89% of the time at easy effort; the longest session 3 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 61% in race week.

2 worth knowing · 16 checks passed

Remarks

Strength training — No strength session.
Fueling — Long sessions (up to 160 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.

The 16 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 17 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 12).
Sessions per week — 4 sessions a week: the minimum for this race is met.
Volume progression — Running volume rises at most 7% from one week to the next (a signal appears beyond 20%).
Long run increase — Each week, the longest run is at most 8% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Lighter weeks — A lighter week comes back regularly (weeks 3, 7, 11, 15).
Weight of the long run — The long run keeps a reasonable share of the week.
Intensity distribution — About 89% 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 — 8 race-specific sessions in the last block.
Timing of the longest session — The longest session falls 3 weeks before the race: the right time.
Taper — Volume drops 61% 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

“I used to spend more time looking for a plan than following one. Now I have my sessions, I know what to do and I stick to it. Really glad I tried it.”
Thomas · Running
“Training for my first half marathon and honestly, I’m getting into it! I even look at my next sessions ahead of time, when before I was mostly looking for an excuse not to go out 😂”
Camille · Running
“Simple to follow and really handy with the watch. I start my session and off I go.”
Julien · Running
“I took Endu to prepare a trail race with friends. I really like having my week already organised: it motivates me and I enjoy my runs more.”
Émilie · Trail
“What I like is no longer asking myself a thousand questions before going for a run. I follow the plan and I enjoy training.”
Nicolas · Trail
“With work and the kids, I thought I’d struggle to follow a plan. In the end, having a structure helps me a lot. Running has found a real place in my week again, and it feels good!”
Julie · Trail
“A good find to prepare my swimrun! It’s nice to find a plan for this sport. I’ve recommended it to my teammate.”
Antoine · Swimrun
“I run more regularly and, above all, with more desire. For that alone, I’m delighted.”
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
“At first I just wanted to try it. Now checking the next day’s session has become my little evening ritual 😊”
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 Marathon de Nantes