Avignon Marathon 2026 results: Lilian Eudier and Jessica Bélisle
Avignon Marathon 2026 results: Lilian Eudier wins the men’s race in 2:28:53 and Jessica Bélisle wins the women’s race in 2:49:09.
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, Avignon staged the first edition of its marathon. Half marathon at 8 a.m., marathon at 9 a.m., start on boulevard Saint-Roch in front of the central station, finish on the Île de la Barthelasse: for a few hours, the City of Popes turned into a race course.
Looking for Avignon Marathon 2026 results? Here are the marathon winners and their official times.
2026 marathon results
- Men: Lilian Eudier — 2:28:53
- Women: Jessica Bélisle — 2:49:09
Timing uses an electronic chip in the bib. Gun time is taken at the start line; net time reflects each runner’s individual start.
The men’s and women’s winners are confirmed above. For other positions, individual times, and the full standings, check the event’s official sources.
For detailed information and standings, check avignon-marathon.com and the Finishers platform linked to the event.
Key facts from the first edition
Solid markers, sourced before and on race day:
- Date: Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Distances: marathon 42.195 km (~80 m elevation gain) and half marathon 21.0975 km (~60 m)
- Starts: half at 8 a.m., marathon at 9 a.m., boulevard Saint-Roch (Avignon Centre station)
- Finish: Île de la Barthelasse, Chemin des Berges
- Field: about 4,000 runners (the initial 3,500 spots sold out in a month)
- Local roots: about 1,300 participants from Vaucluse, including nearly 400 from Avignon
- Volunteers: more than 550 across both courses
- Organizer: Provence Sport Organisation (Bertrand Delhomme and Christophe De Cecco)
- Time limits: 5 h 45 on the marathon, 2 h 45 on the half
- Awards: scratch podium for men and women (top 3) plus FFA category winners, finisher medal for all
Race-day weather in Avignon, from Open-Meteo data for September 27, 2026: no precipitation, with a low around 16.6 °C and a high near 27.8 °C. In other words: rather warm for a late-September marathon, especially on the long Barthelasse loop mid to late morning.
A course built to run — and to show the city
The route was designed to stay fast despite Avignon’s dense historic core. Early miles are postcard territory: ramparts, Palais des Papes, Place de l’Horloge, the opera house, City Hall, then the Pont Saint-Bénézet. After that, the Rhône and the Île de la Barthelasse take over — Europe’s largest river island — with more open, greener stretches.
On the marathon, about a quarter of the course runs inside the walls; the big island loop is the heart of the effort, with notable passages near the Pont de Sauveterre around kilometers 16 and 21. Free shuttles were planned for supporters toward that sector from Île Piot.
The half follows the same logic over a shorter distance: the same urban opening, the same finish on Chemin des Berges facing the ramparts.
Choosing Barthelasse was not only about scenery. Organizers had to work with a beautiful but narrow center that is hard to secure for several thousand runners. The island offers longer, smoother lines — and another face of Avignon, seen from the river.
Where to check your result
To find your result and the details of your race:
- Use the official site or Finishers for your chip / gun time.
- Check marathon vs half carefully: two fields, two standings.
- Distinguish gun time from net time (individual start).
- Check official sources for updates and always use the most recent version of the standings.
If you raced today, keep the day itself too: first edition, local crowd, volunteers, miles under the ramparts. The clock matters; so does the context.
Why encouragement matters as much as the clock
A first marathon in a city, even on a flat course, is still a mental adventure. Between the buzz of the boulevard Saint-Roch start, the turns inside the walls, and the long Barthelasse stretch, some kilometers are loud with crowds… and others leave you mostly with yourself.
Encouragement helps break up the distance. A familiar voice at km 10, at halfway, at 30, or in the final stretch on Chemin des Berges can reset your pace, remind you to drink, or simply pull your head off the watch. On a first edition, many supporters are also discovering the course: they cannot be everywhere at once.
That is where a digital complement makes sense. With Cobbr, your people record voice encouragement messages that play at a chosen kilometer, or live while you run — the same link for supporters. You keep your ears free to race; they can still reach you from the other side of the Rhône, or from a live tracker.
Whether you finished the marathon, the half, or followed someone in a bib today: enjoy this first chapter. Lilian Eudier and Jessica Bélisle open the Avignon Marathon 2026 record — and encouragement still matters, whatever your time.
