Marseille-Cassis 2026: surviving the Gineste climb to the harbour finish
On 25 October 2026, Marseille-Cassis AG2R La Mondiale runs 20 km from the Vélodrome to Cassis. Course, Gineste climb, closed entries, cheer spots and voice messages from afar.
On Sunday 25 October 2026, the 47th edition of Marseille-Cassis - AG2R LA MONDIALE links Marseille to Cassis over 20 km. Start at 9:00 am on boulevard Michelet, near the CEPAC Vélodrome; finish on Avenue des Albizzi, above Cassis among the vineyards. In between: Calanques National Park and, at km 10, the Col de la Gineste.
Whether you are racing or cheering, here is the course, the cut-offs, realistic spots for supporters, and how to hear a familiar voice when the Route des Crêtes leaves everyone off the roadside.
Marseille-Cassis 2026 at a glance
- Date: Sunday 25 October 2026 (47th edition)
- Distance: 20 km
- Start: 9:00 am, boulevard Michelet (Marseille), near the CEPAC Vélodrome
- Finish: Avenue des Albizzi, upper Cassis
- Organiser: SCO Sainte Marguerite, co-organised with the City of Cassis
- Field: about 20,000 entrants, FFA International label
- Aid stations: km 5 (Luminy roundabout), km 10 (Col de la Gineste), km 15 (Bois Joli), plus a finish bag
Classic entries are closed. A waiting list is open and a bib resale scheme is announced from 16 June 2026. Limited solidarity bibs may still be available (minimum €200 raised for a partner charity). Check the live status on marseille-cassis.com.
The course: from Michelet to the Gineste
About 12 km run through Calanques National Park. This is not a flat 20 km: the climb to the col shapes the whole day.
Km 0–5: Vélodrome → Luminy
Start on boulevard Michelet, access via esplanade Ganay (wristband + bib required). Settle into pace on a gentle uphill false flat, then a first short climb before the Luminy roundabout aid station (km 5). That is often the last easy place to see crowds before the massif.
Km 5–10: the Gineste climb
After Luminy the gradient bites. You climb to the Col de la Gineste, the high point at km 10, around 327 m altitude. The Route des Crêtes opens views over Marseille and the Calanques, but supporters struggle to follow: limited car access, traffic controls, and a long stretch with no roadside crowd. The col aid station sits right at halfway.
You have a maximum of 1 hour 30 minutes to clear the col. Leave something in the tank: the finish is not at the summit.
Km 10–20: Carpiagne, descent and Albizzi
After the col come the Carpiagne descent / false flat, then the Bois Joli aid station (km 15). The drop toward Cassis steepens, with views of the bay, before the climb back toward the station and the finish on Avenue des Albizzi. Overall limit: 3 hours from the last wave’s start. A further barrier is set at 12:45 pm at the Jean-Jacques Bontoux roundabout at the bottom of the Gineste road.
If you like courses where the hills decide the day, the Mont Ventoux Half Marathon and the Grand Trail Saint-Jacques play the same game: one hard landmark to plan for, not just to endure.
Race strategy
Waves and corrals
The para start is at 8:45 am. Then wave 1 at 9:00 am (elites / 1:20 / 1:30 corrals), wave 2 at 9:05 am (1:45), then open corrals every 8 minutes. Preferential corrals close at 8:30 am. Your time is chip time under the start gantry.
Pacing the Gineste
The classic mistake is emptying the tank before the col. Official training plans and coaches say the same thing: save legs for Carpiagne and the finish. Use the km 10 aid station, then manage the descent so you do not blow up before Albizzi.
As on other busy 20 km races — the 20 km de Paris for example — start-line adrenaline should not set your first five kilometres.
Where to cheer (and where you cannot)
Supporters cannot shadow the field up the Gineste. Pick two or three spots and stick to them.
- Start, boulevard Michelet / CEPAC Vélodrome: atmosphere, photos, last hug before the corrals. Metro Sainte-Marguerite Dromel (line M2). Esplanade Ganay access closes at 9:30 am.
- Luminy area (km 5): last easy contact before the real climb.
- Finish, Avenue des Albizzi: the line, the medal, the finish bag. Bag drop is redistributed on avenue Foch.
- After the race, Cassis harbour: many groups regroup once clear of the finish zone — useful for meeting up, not for split times.
Between Luminy and lower Cassis, especially on the Route des Crêtes, expect quiet roads: that is exactly where a familiar voice matters most.
Support from afar on the Gineste
If family stays in Marseille, in Paris or behind a live tracker, they will not be at the col. With Cobbr, they record voice messages before the start and pick the kilometre: at km 5 to launch the climb, at km 10 right on the col, or near Bois Joli when the legs shake. On race day you hear them in your headphones at the right moment, without touching your phone.
Live messages
Turn on live messages if someone is following you in real time: same supporter link, voice notes sent during the race and played on arrival. Handy when the crowd disappears between the Crêtes and Carpiagne. To set up your encouragement playlist before the weekend, use the Cobbr app.
Around 25 October
The same Sunday, other fields start elsewhere in France; in Avignon the first marathon edition already has its 2026 results. Marseille-Cassis stays unique: 20 km, a landmark climb, and a finish toward sea and vines.
Also note the clock change (night of 24–25 October): your body may feel as if you are starting later. Bib collection and detailed race instructions: official site.
In short
Marseille-Cassis 2026 is on 25 October over 20 km, start 9:00 am on boulevard Michelet, finish on Avenue des Albizzi. The hard point remains the Gineste climb to the col (km 10): 1:30 cut-off, then manage the descent and Carpiagne. Classic entries are closed — watch the waiting list and resale. For cheers, bank on the start and the finish; for the Route des Crêtes, let your people talk to you at the right kilometre.
Sources: marseille-cassis.com (overview, race info, entries, rules); col altitude documented geographically (~327 m).
