When is the 2026 Lille Half Marathon?

On Sunday 25 October 2026, starting at 8:30 am. The marathon starts the same day, at 11:15 am.

Where and when does the Lille Half Marathon start?

At 8:30 am at 215 Boulevard de la Liberté, in a single start for every pen. The nearest metro stations are République-Beaux-Arts (line 1) and Mairie de Lille (line 2). Bag drop closes at 7:30 am and the finish is on the Esplanade du Champ-de-Mars.

What is the 2026 Lille Half Marathon course?

A loop past Lille-Flandres station and the Grand-Place, Boulevard Vauban, Place Sébastopol and Wazemmes, then south to Lille-Sud, Wattignies, Faches-Thumesnil and Ronchin, before repeating the city-centre loop and finishing at the Champ-de-Mars. About 60 m of climbing on the official route.

Where and when do I collect my bib?

At the exhibitors’ village, Esplanade du Champ-de-Mars: Thursday 22 October 2pm to 8pm, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 10am to 8pm. Bring the pick-up card sent by email and ID; someone else can collect it with yours. No half-marathon bib is handed out on the Sunday.

When will the 2027 Lille half (and marathon) take place?

Not announced yet: neither the date nor the 2027 registration opening appears on the official website. In 2026 the half sold out in one hour, so it is worth watching for the announcement.

Semi-Marathon de Lille: 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.

Semi-Marathon de Lille 2027: date, course and training plan

21.1 kmLille2027 edition: date not announced yet

The Lille Half Marathon is run on Sunday 25 October 2026 at 8:30 am, the same day as the Lille Marathon, back after 31 years (11:15 am start). Organised by the Hauts-de-France athletics league, it starts on Boulevard de la Liberté, passes Lille-Flandres station and the Grand-Place twice, heads south to Lille-Sud and Faches-Thumesnil, then finishes on the Esplanade du Champ-de-Mars, near the Citadel. The course is very flat and holds the FFA Gold label. The half has not been linked to the Braderie since 2022.

Your plan for Semi-Marathon de Lille

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.

Semi-Marathon de Lille at a glance

Date: 2027 edition: date not announced yet2026 edition: 25 October 2026
Formats: Semi-marathonPlan below — 21.1 km, FFA Gold label, single 8:30 am start for every pen, chosen at registration (from under 1h15 to 2h30). Time limit 2h30, cut-off at km 15 at 1h47. Water at km 5, 9 and 14 and around km 19. Open to runners born in 2009 or earlier. €35 plus fees.
Marathon — 42.195 km, on the same day, starting at 11:15 am from the same place. Time limit 6 hours, with cut-offs at km 10 (1h25), halfway (3 hours) and km 30 (4h16). It leaves Lille heading south, as far as Seclin.
Registration: Sold out for 2026: about 15,000 runners at the start, and the half sold out in one hour according to the City of Lille. Online registration only (Njuko), €35 plus fees, free for Compétition or Running licence holders of the Hauts-de-France league (refunded after the race), €2 off for other FFA licence holders. An FFA licence or a PPS health pass under a year old is required. The official resale (Swika) closed on 4 October; running with someone else’s bib means disqualification. Bib pick-up at the exhibitors’ village, Esplanade du Champ-de-Mars: Thursday 22 October 2pm to 8pm, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October 10am to 8pm, with your pick-up card and ID. No race-day pick-up for the half. Nothing is announced for 2027 yet.
Official website: marathon-lille.com/les-courses/semi-marathon.html

The 2026 course

Start at 8:30 am at 215 Boulevard de la Liberté. The course heads east along Boulevard Louis-XIV, up Boulevard Émile-Dubuisson, back along Avenue du Président-Kennedy and Rue Pierre-Mauroy, past Lille-Flandres station (km 2.3), along Rue Faidherbe and across the Grand-Place (km 3). It runs down Rue Nationale, follows Boulevard de la Liberté then Boulevard Vauban (km 4), makes a loop via Rue de Solférino, Avenue Léon-Jouhaux and Rue Colbert (km 5), returns to Boulevard Vauban and takes Rue de Solférino again to Place Sébastopol (km 7). It crosses Wazemmes along Rue des Postes (km 8), follows Boulevard Victor-Hugo (km 9), then heads south along Rue d’Arras and Rue du Faubourg-d’Arras (km 10 to 12). A short stretch in Wattignies, then Faches-Thumesnil (Rue d’Haubourdin, km 13) and Ronchin (Avenue Jean-Jaurès, km 15), before coming back into Lille through Moulins (Rue de Douai, km 16). At km 17, Boulevard Jean-Baptiste-Lebas leads back to the start and the course repeats the opening loop: Lille-Flandres station around km 19.3, the Grand-Place around km 19.8, Rue Nationale. The last 700 m go up Boulevard de la Liberté to Square Daubenton and the Citadel bridge, finishing on the Esplanade du Champ-de-Mars. About 60 m of climbing on the official route.

What the race asks of your training

The last week: taper

Eight days out, the work is done. Cut volume by about a third, keep one short session early in the week (3 to 4 × 1 km at half-marathon pace) and easy runs, then rest or 20 very slow minutes the day before. Nothing new: shoes, kit and breakfast already tested.

An 8:30 start, bag drop closing at 7:30

Bag drop for the half is only open from 6:30 to 7:30 am, and there are no changing rooms: be there early, with breakfast about three hours before. The warm-up comes down to a few minutes of jogging and two or three strides in your pen.

Flat, but urban

About 60 m of climbing over the whole official route: conditions suit a personal best. The bends in the centre (station, Grand-Place, Rue Nationale) break your rhythm at the start and the end, the long straights of Lille-Sud let you settle in the middle. The last third repeats the opening loop: stay patient until Rue Nationale, around km 20.

The km 15 cut-off

1h47 at km 15, a little over 7 min/km. For a first half, that is the pace to hold without walking: long runs of 1h30 to 1h45 late in the build-up will have checked it.

The plan below prepares the Semi-marathon format, for an athlete at intermediate level with 4 days available per week. Until the official date is out, the example is set for 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; the longest session 3 weeks before the race; a taper cutting volume by 53% in race week.

2 worth knowing · 16 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 16 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.
Timing of the longest session — The longest session falls 3 weeks before the race: the right time.
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
“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 Semi-Marathon de Lille