Nice-Cannes Marathon 2026: Route, Live Tracking and Where to Cheer

The French Riviera Nice-Cannes Marathon (Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice-Cannes) takes place on Sunday, November 8, 2026, from the Promenade des Anglais to the Croisette, with four start waves between 8:00 and 9:15 am. The race is sold out. If someone you love is running it, here is how to follow their marathon live, where to see them without chasing them around, and which messages to play at the kilometres where they will need them.

The 2026 Nice-Cannes Marathon at a glance

• Date: Sunday, November 8, 2026 (18th edition)
• Start: Promenade des Anglais in Nice, opposite the Théâtre de Verdure
• Finish: Cannes, Esplanade des Alliés, in front of the Palais des Festivals, after the Croisette
• Waves: 8:00 am for elites and the sub-3:00 to 3:15 pens, 8:25 am for 3:30 and 3:45, 8:50 am for 4:00 and 4:15, 9:15 am for 4:30, 5:00 and slower. Handisport athletes start at 7:57 am.
• Time limit: 6 hours, with the last finisher estimated at 3:15 pm
• Elevation: 100 m of cumulative gain according to the organisers, a flat course along the sea
• Pacers: 9 targets, from 3:00 to 5:00 in 15-minute steps
• Field: around 25,000 runners expected across all distances (marathon, 20 km, relay and 2x21.1 km)

Your runner's bib doubles as a train ticket between Nice and Cannes all day, in both directions. Starts are by wave, and runners are asked to be in their pen at the latest 30 minutes before their wave leaves.

How do you track a runner live at the Nice-Cannes Marathon?

The organisers announce live tracking with a 5-minute delay on race day, on the home page of marathon06.com. The timing company, Timing4you, also lists the race on its website. The tracking relies on the chip stuck to the back of the bib, which is read at the timing mats along the course, not continuously. Between two mats, the page shows the last known reading and doesn't tell you where your runner is right now.

For a dot that moves on a map, your runner has to share their phone's location (Strava Beacon, Garmin LiveTrack or plain location sharing). We cover each option and its limits in our guide on how to track a runner during a race. Either way, write down their bib number and their wave (8:00, 8:25, 8:50 or 9:15 am), because that changes every time you plan around.

The organisers publish estimated passing times, from the first to the last runner. They are estimates for the head of the race and for the last runner. Your runner will pass between the two, depending on their wave and pace:

• Km 0, Promenade des Anglais: 8:00 am for the head of the race, 9:15 am for the last runner
• Km 5, opposite the airport: 8:15 to 9:58 am
• Km 10, Cagnes-sur-Mer: 8:30 to 10:40 am
• Km 15, Villeneuve-Loubet: 8:45 to 11:23 am
• Km 20, Antibes Juan-les-Pins: 9:00 am to 12:05 pm
• Km 25: 9:15 am to 12:48 pm
• Km 30: 9:30 am to 1:30 pm
• Km 35, Golfe-Juan: 9:45 am to 2:13 pm
• Km 40, Cannes: 10:00 am to 2:55 pm
• Finish, Esplanade des Alliés: 10:08 am to 3:15 pm

A worked example: a runner in the 8:50 am wave aiming for 4:00 will cross the line around 12:50 pm, give or take a few minutes.

The course, from Nice to Cannes

The course runs from one point to another, with no loop, and follows the sea almost all the way. It passes through seven towns.

Km 0 to 8: Nice and the airport. The start is on the Promenade des Anglais, then it heads west along the Baie des Anges. Km 5 goes past Nice airport, and the coast road leads to Saint-Laurent-du-Var around km 7.5.

Km 8 to 20: Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Villeneuve-Loubet. You pass the Saint-Laurent tourist office (km 8.7), then the Boulevard de la Plage in Cagnes-sur-Mer (km 10 to 11.7). After that the route follows the coast road through Villeneuve-Loubet, with the Marina Baie des Anges, the Fighière beach (km 16.8) and Avenue de la Batterie (km 17.5), up to the Maurettes car park around km 20.

Km 20 to 31: Antibes Juan-les-Pins. The halfway point (km 21.1) is on the coast road near Fort Carré. The race then goes along Avenue du 11 Novembre (km 23.2), Boulevard James Wyllie (km 25.5), Boulevard de la Garoupe (km 27.9) and Boulevard du Maréchal Juin (km 30.8): this is the Cap d'Antibes loop.

Km 31 to 37: Golfe-Juan. The Boulevard du Littoral (km 33.7) leads to Vallauris Golfe-Juan and Avenue des Frères Roustan (km 36.3).

Km 37 to 42.195: Cannes. You enter Cannes around km 39 on Avenue de la Liberté, then Boulevard Eugène Gazagnaire (km 40.5). The end of the course joins the Croisette, with the finish on the Esplanade des Alliés in front of the Palais des Festivals.

Where to cheer a runner between Nice and Cannes

The good news: the whole race is close to train stations, and the Nice-Cannes train ride is included for runners. Spectators can buy a Marathon Companion Pass for 8 €, which covers the trains between Nice and Cannes all day on November 8. It is sold online, at the stations on the route that weekend and at the ZOU stand at the Marathon Expo, open Thursday, November 5 to Saturday, November 7 at the OcéaNice congress centre in Nice harbour.

The organisers ask supporters to get off at Juan-les-Pins and not at Villeneuve-Loubet. That small station needs to stay free for relay runners and 20 km runners. They also advise against following the race by bike: some sections aren't suited to it and would get in the runners' way.

The relay points are the spots set up for cheering. Here is the nearest station for each:

• Start, Nice (km 0): Nice-Ville station, a 15-minute walk. A security zone surrounds the start, with access after a pat-down.
• Saint-Laurent-du-Var (km 8.7): station a 10-minute walk away.
• Cagnes-sur-Mer (km 11.7): station a 20-minute walk away.
• Villeneuve-Loubet (km 16.8): kept as a priority for relay and 20 km runners, as above.
• Antibes Juan-les-Pins (km 25.5, Boulevard James Wyllie): Juan-les-Pins station, a 20-minute walk. For km 21.1, Antibes station is a 15-minute walk from the relay point.
• Vallauris Golfe-Juan (km 36.3): station a 5-minute walk away, the shortest walk of all the relay points.
• Cannes, finish: Cannes station, a 15-minute walk from the finish.

A supporter zone with a DJ is set up at km 25.8, at the Base Nautique in Antibes Juan-les-Pins. At the Marathon Expo (November 5 to 7), you can also make a personalised KIPRUN sign for your runner.

After the finish, there is a meeting zone where everyone finds their family under the letter of their surname. Agree on it with your runner before Sunday: their bag is waiting at the Esplanade Macé, behind the Palais des Festivals, and their phone may be inside.

If you can only see your runner twice, pick Golfe-Juan around km 36, when it starts to hurt, then the finish in Cannes. Buy your Companion Pass ahead of time, and allow for a wait at Cannes station on the way back, which the organisers warn about themselves.

Assistance zones, with no cups

In 2026 there are no cups on the course or at the finish. Runners must bring a soft flask, a hydration pack or a collapsible cup, which they fill at water ramps connected to the drinking water network.

Three assistance zones let a supporter pass their runner a drink or something to eat. Each one is about 50 metres long, marked by "Assistance zone entry" and "Assistance zone end" signs, just before the official aid station:

• Km 10, Cros-de-Cagnes
• Km 20, Brague bridge, after La Siesta
• Km 35, Golfe-Juan, before the climb towards La Rapide

Full solid and liquid aid stations are at km 10, 15, 19.5, 25, 30.5, 35.5 and 38.5, with extra water points at km 5, 7.5, 13, 17, 22, 27, 29, 32.5, 34, 37 and 40.

Nice-Cannes Marathon cut-off times

The maximum time is 6 hours. Cut-offs are placed at km 10, 21.1, 30 and 35. Here are the reference race times to stay within 6 hours, about 8 min 34 s per kilometre:

• Km 10: 1:25:43
• Km 21: 3:00:00
• Km 30: 4:17:09
• Km 35: 5:00:00
• Km 40: 5:42:51
• Finish: 6:00:00

A runner declared out of time has their chip removed and is out of the race. If they carry on, it is at their own risk. A runner who drops out tells a volunteer, then can get back to the start or finish by train with their bib.

Voice messages at the right kilometre

Not everyone who loves your runner will be on the Riviera. With Cobbr, they record voice messages ahead of time and choose the kilometre where your runner will hear them in their headphones. During the race, they can also react from home while following progress, through the same link. The organisers recommend running with a single earbud, which works well for hearing a familiar voice while still hearing the road.

On this course, the kilometres where a message really helps:

• Km 10, Cros-de-Cagnes: a reminder not to go out too fast.
• Km 21.1, Antibes: halfway, the moment to remember why they are running.
• Km 25 to 30, Cap d'Antibes: the middle of the race, when the finish still feels far away.
• Km 35, Golfe-Juan: before the climb, a message to stay patient.
• Km 40, Cannes: only 2 kilometres to go.
• Km 41: the last words before the line.

For words that work, browse our encouragement messages for runners and read how live messages while you run work. If you are choosing a tool, our comparison of voice-message apps for marathon runners puts the options side by side.

More marathons this month

The same Sunday, the Athens Marathon starts in the town of Marathon, and the NYC Marathon has just been run. And if your runner is training for a first marathon alone, these tips for running a marathon solo will help.

FAQ

What time does the 2026 Nice-Cannes Marathon start?

On Sunday, November 8, 2026, in four waves: 8:00, 8:25, 8:50 and 9:15 am, depending on the target time. Handisport runners start at 7:57 am.

How can I track a Nice-Cannes Marathon runner live?

With the organisers' live tracking, available from marathon06.com with a 5-minute delay. It updates at the timing mats. For a continuous position, your runner has to share their location from their phone.

Where is the best place to cheer at the Nice-Cannes Marathon?

Near the stations: Juan-les-Pins for the middle of the race, Golfe-Juan around km 36 and the finish in Cannes. The organisers ask supporters not to get off at Villeneuve-Loubet.

What is the time limit at the Nice-Cannes Marathon?

6 hours, with cut-offs at km 10, 21.1, 30 and 35.

Is the Nice-Cannes Marathon flat?

Yes, the organisers announce 100 m of cumulative gain over 42.195 km, along the sea.

Cover photo and body photo: Txllxt TxllxT / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.