When is Marseille-Cassis 2026?

On Sunday 25 October 2026, for the 47th edition. Start at 9 am on Boulevard Michelet, by the CEPAC Vélodrome. The race is traditionally held on the last Sunday of October.

How do you enter Marseille-Cassis?

Online on the official website, as soon as registration opens: for 2026 the organisers had announced March, and in 2024 the bibs went within a few hours. The 2027 opening date is not published yet. Once the race is full, only the official resale on Swika and the transfer from the runner account let you take over a bib.

Is there a cut-off at Marseille-Cassis?

Yes: 1h30 to pass the Col de la Gineste and 3 hours to finish, counted from the start of the last wave. A cut-off at 12:45 at the Jean-Jacques Bontoux roundabout, at the foot of the Gineste road, then closes the end of the course.

Marseille-Cassis: how many weeks of preparation?

For an athlete at intermediate level, Endu builds a 13-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.

Marseille-Cassis 2027: date, course and training plan

20 kmMarseille2027 edition: 31 October 2027

Since 1979, on the last Sunday of October, Marseille-Cassis has linked Boulevard Michelet, by the CEPAC Vélodrome stadium, to the heights of Cassis: 20 km on road, 12 of them inside the Calanques National Park. The road climbs for ten kilometres to the Col de la Gineste, at 327 m, then drops down to Cassis. The race has around 20,000 entrants.

Your plan for Marseille-Cassis

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

Your level?

14-day trial, cancel anytime.

Marseille-Cassis at a glance

Date: 2027 edition: 31 October 2027
Formats: Marseille-Cassis 20 kmPlan below — 20 km on road, FFA International label, from Marseille (Boulevard Michelet) to Cassis (Avenue des Albizzi) over the Col de la Gineste, the high point at 327 m. Wave starts from 9 am. Time limit: 1h30 to pass the col and 3 hours to finish, counted from the start of the last wave. Aid stations at km 5, 10 and 15. Open to runners born in 2008 or earlier. €75 in 2026.
Registration: Registration for 2026 is closed. The organisers had announced it would open in March; in 2024 it sold out within a few hours. 2026 price: €75, or €70 for FFA licence holders during a dedicated 24-hour session limited to 1,500 places, plus booking fees. 1,000 charity bibs were set aside for runners raising at least €200 for one of the four partner charities. To take over a bib, only the official resale on Swika and the transfer from the runner account count; in 2026 they ran until 2 and 6 October. A PPS health pass or a 2026-2027 FFA licence (Athlé Compétition, Entreprise or Running) is required. Bib pick-up at Parc Chanot (Hall 2), Friday 23 October from 10 am to 8:30 pm and Saturday 24 October from 9 am to 8 pm; no bibs on race day or by post. The 2027 registration opening date is not published yet.
Official website: marseille-cassis.com/fr

The 2026 course

Start on Boulevard Michelet, next to the CEPAC Vélodrome. The course follows Boulevard Michelet south to the Mazargues obelisk (between km 2 and 3), then heads for Luminy: aid station at the Luminy roundabout (km 5), a water point around km 7, then a series of hairpins up to the Col de la Gineste (327 m, km 10, aid station). The D559, the Gineste road, then crosses the plateau alongside the Carpiagne military camp (first-aid post at km 13) to Bois Joli (km 15, aid station), and drops down towards Cassis. Through Le Mussuguet (km 18) and past the railway station (km 19), finish on Avenue des Albizzi, on the heights of Cassis, among the vineyards. 12 km are run inside the Calanques National Park.

What the race asks of your training

Ten kilometres of climbing

On the official profile, the road only climbs from the start (13 m) to the Col de la Gineste (327 m): gently up to km 4, then in earnest, from 107 m at km 5 to 303 m at km 9. Long continuous climbs at a steady aerobic pace prepare you for this effort better than short hill repeats.

A long descent, then one last rise

After the col, the course rolls between 255 and 228 m from km 12 to km 15, then drops towards Cassis to 90 m at km 18, before climbing back to 110 m at km 19. The descent wears out the quads: a few downhill runs at a brisk pace in the final weeks get them used to it, and keeping something for the last rise avoids losing in two kilometres what you gained on the way down.

The cut-offs

The rules give 1h30 to pass the Col de la Gineste and 3 hours to finish, counted from the start of the last wave, with a cut-off at 12:45 at the Jean-Jacques Bontoux roundabout, at the foot of the Gineste road. If you expect to be near the back, the challenge is to climb the col without stopping: lengthen your easy-paced hill runs, mixing running and brisk walking if needed, rather than working on speed on the flat.

A pace that cannot be even

Between the climb and the descent, the pace per kilometre varies a lot: better to set yourself a split at the col than an even pace. Aid stations at km 5, 10 and 15, a water point around km 7; bottles and hydration packs are allowed. If you plan to carry one, take it on your hill runs to learn to drink while climbing.

The plan below prepares the Marseille-Cassis 20 km format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week, with race day on 31 October 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: 13
sessions: 52
sessions / week: 4
peak week: 4.9 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 3–5 · 3 wk
Build
Weeks 6–7 · 2 wk
Specific
Weeks 8–10 · 3 wk
Taper
Weeks 11–12 · 2 wk
Race week
Weeks 13–13 · 1 wk

Volume progression

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

Wk	Phase	Hours	km
1	General preparation	2.8 h	28
2	General preparation	3 h	30
3	Baserecovery	2.4 h	23
4	Base	3.3 h	33
5	Base	3.6 h	36
6	Build	3.8 h	40
7	Buildrecovery	3 h	30
8	Specific	4.2 h	42
9	Specific	4.5 h	45
10	Specific	4.9 h	49
11	Taper	3.5 h	34
12	Taper	2.7 h	26
13	Race week	2.3 h	22

Sample week — week 8 (Specific)

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
51 min easy
51 min · 8.2 km
TuesdayVery hard
6 × 800 m at MAS
2 min jog recovery
57 min · 10.8 km
WednesdayEasy
51 min easy
51 min · 8.2 km
SundayModerate
Long run 1 h 31
last 11 min at marathon pace
1 h 31 · 15.1 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 13-week build (recommended minimum: 8); a longest run never more than 10% above the previous month’s; volume rising at most 11% from one week to the next; 90% of the time at easy effort; a taper cutting volume by 53% in race week.

2 worth knowing · 15 checks passed

Remarks

Strength training — No strength session.
Fueling — Long sessions (up to 105 min in this plan) are where race fueling is rehearsed.

The 15 checks passed, in detail

Length of the build — 13 weeks: enough for this race (recommended minimum: 8).
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 10% longer than the longest of the previous month (benchmark: 10%).
Lighter weeks — A lighter week comes back regularly (weeks 3, 7, 11).
Weight of the long run — The long run keeps a reasonable share of the week.
Intensity distribution — About 90% 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 — 7 race-specific sessions in the last block.
Taper — Volume drops 53% 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
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Camille · Running
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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
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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
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Laura · Swimrun
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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 Marseille-Cassis