Follow this Paris Running Tour
Thank you Claire, François and Patrice for this nice run in Paris! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
Other discoveries of Paris with Sarah
At Paris Running Tours, we are really happy to see runners coming back to run with us. Sarah from Great Britain is one of our faithful visitors. In this month of March, we meet again for the 5th time, and it is with great joy! Each time, we create a different route. This time, we had chosen to move away from the center of Paris to join the magnificent Bois de Boulogne and its superb lakes (the wood belongs to Paris). The “Bois de Boulogne” as we know it corresponds to one of the many developments in Paris realised by Baron Haussmann, commissioned by Napoleon III. Here, for the “Lac inférieur” (Lower Lake) that we can admire in the picture above, Napoleon III’s idea was to draw inspiration from the Serpentine River in Hyde Park. This artificial river could not be built as desired, the engineer in charge having forgotten a six-meters vertical drop that would flood the lower part and dry the upper part! To rectify this error, an “upper” lake and a “lower” lake were created, the smaller one (“Lac supérieur”) discharging through a waterfall into the larger one (“Lac inférieur”). Two beautiful artificial lakes. To reach the Bois de Boulogne, we took the avenue Foch: Avenue Foch is the widest avenue in Paris. It starts at the Arc de Triomphe and ends at the Bois de Boulogne. Marathon runners know it well, it’s the finish of the Paris Marathon! It is also a creation of Baron Haussmann, wanted by the Emperor Napoleon III to give a direct access to the Bois de Boulogne. Initially called “Avenue de l’Impératrice” (the Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III), then Avenue du Bois de Boulogne, it was named Avenue Foch after the First World War. Avenue Foch is one of the most expensive avenues in Paris (see the French version of the Monopoly…). It was for a long time a very popular walk where the high society liked to show itself. Look at the small postcards above (by clicking you can enlarge the picture). Nowadays we can see a lot of runners… The avenue is very quiet on this Tuesday morning… At the end of avenue Foch, we can discover one of the last two Guimard covered edicles (we talked about it with Lysa, here): On the way back, we met one of the best-known authors in France, Jean de La Fontaine. All French or francophone children learn the Fables of La Fontaine at school. Here is the famous fable of the Crow and the Fox: [tabs slidertype=”top tabs”] [tabcontainer] [tabtext]Le Corbeau et le Renard (French)[/tabtext] [tabtext]The Crow and the Fox (Anglais)[/tabtext] [/tabcontainer] [tabcontent] [tab] Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché, Tenait en son bec un fromage. Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché, Lui tint à peu près ce langage : « Hé ! bonjour Monsieur du Corbeau. Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau ! Sans mentir, si votre ramage Se rapporte à votre plumage, Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois. » À ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ; Et pour montrer sa belle voix, Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie. Le Renard s’en saisit, et dit : « Mon bon Monsieur, Apprenez que tout flatteur Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute. Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute. » Le Corbeau, honteux et confus, Jura, mais un peu tard, qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus. [/tab] [tab] Master Crow perched on a tree, Was holding a cheese in his beak. Master Fox attracted by the smell Said something like this: “Well, Hello Mister Crow! How pretty you are! How beautiful you seem to me! I’m not lying, if your voice Is like your plumage, You are the phoenix of all the inhabitants of these woods.” At these words, the Crow is overjoyed. And in order to show off his beautiful voice, He opens his beak wide, lets his prey fall The Fox grabs it, and says: “My good man, Learn that every flatterer Lives at the expense of the one who listens to him. This lesson, without doubt, is well worth a cheese.” The Crow, ashamed and embarrassed, Swore, but a little late, that he would not be taken again. [/tab] [/tabcontent] [/tabs] Thank you Sarah for this new beautiful stroll, see you soon! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
Paris Running Tours is 10 years old! With Evan, Jennifer and Ava
Today, Wednesday, February 14th, 2018, is the birthday of Paris Running Tours! 10 years*! Paris Running Tours celebrated its 10th anniversary with a very nice family: a great run in Paris with Evan, Jennifer and their daughter Ava, used to accompany her parents during their daily sports outings in the beautiful landscapes of Michigan. Despite the freezing cold, we were able to do a nice 14 km tour of Paris, alternating running with the stroller and Ava’s little escapades to stretch her legs and enjoy the pleasure of running. It’s time to stretch our legs: *Paris Running Tours is 10 years old! It is with great pleasure that we made our 1454th running tour today, 10 years after the official creation of Paris Running Tours with the trademark registration at INPI (“Institut National de la Propriété Intellectuelle”) on February 12th, 2008. But how did it all start? Two passions, running and Paris I really started running in 1995, of course in Paris, my city and with the joy of creating a multitude of different routes for my training and enjoy all the beautiful aspects of this great city. When I was running, I wondered if it was not possible to introduce the city to sports tourists in this way. From time to time, I came across runners who were obviously looking for their way into the city. Yes, running tours in Paris, why not? But how to do that? At the end of the 1990s, the Internet was not as available as it is today, how can we make ourselves known then? Waiting outside with a placard? Not very effective… Work, family, competitions, the idea remained in a corner of my mind… until in 2010, I read a small article in a running magazine, praising the discovery of Paris by running. A Paris Running Tours company offered guided tours in Paris. A runner among my acquaintances, Francis Gérard, had created Paris Running Tours and started the visits in 2007, with the official creation of Paris Running Tours in February 2008. In spite of a busy job in a big company, I immediately offered myself as a guide for the early morning tours. Francis and I became friends with great ambitions for Paris Running Tours. The activity really got off to a good start in 2010. Thanks to our first site, we began to be known and have the pleasure of sharing our expertise of Paris with our visitors from all over the world: here, for example, in 2010, with Caroline (coming from Hamburg): Paris Running Tours was one of the first companies in the world to organize running tours, the first in Paris. Unfortunately Francis left us and to perpetuate this wonderful adventure, I took over the responsibility of Paris Running Tours. The team has grown, we are now four of us, all having another activity and being Paris Running Tours guides by passion. Since then, the idea has been taken up a lot, many Running Tours have been created and it is very pleasant to discover the cities of the whole world thanks to running guides. Paris Running Tours has remained independent, as it is neither a franchise nor part of a large agency, nor dependent on large groups. We are still a small team driven by our passion for Paris and running. It is always a great pleasure to share our expertise and experience (10 years!) with all our visitors. Thanks to all the runners who have placed their trust in us, thanks to Impossible to quote you all here, but each tour was and is exceptional, a new adventure, a beautiful encounter every time. Many of you have come back to see us over the years and we are delighted of that. Our tours are private tours with tailor-made tours, we come to pick you up at your hotel or residence: Thank you all for these wonderful years spent with you, thank you for your kind TripAdvisor feedback who show that you love our tours and who push us to continue sharing Paris with you for a long time. See you soon! Jean-Charles, main Paris Running Tours guide, with all the team If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you all. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you:
Very happy new year 2018!
Very happy new year 2018! Big thanks to the 400 runners* who came to discover Paris with us in 2017! We wish you all a very happy 2018! Happy running! *It was not possible to put the photos of all you but we really enjoyed each tour we ran with you! If you too, you come to Paris, we will be very happy to run with you. Join us and discover Paris with authentic Parisians guides who always have tons of secrets to share with you. Enjoy an original private tour, tailor-made for you:
The routes we created for our visitors
In front of the invisible pyramid with Molly and Saul
9:00 AM – With Molly and Saul from California, we crossed by running Paris from west to east to make an attractive tour of more than 16 km (10 miles). We made a small stop in front of the Louvre and, what a surprise, the Louvre Pyramid seems to have disappeared by leaving a grey halo! Is it a photomontage? No, not at all, the pyramid was made invisible by the artist JR by a astonishing anamorphosis. (if you want to know more about JR’s works, go to this nice arts website at this page: https://www.artsy.net/artist/jr) A look aside makes us understand a little better the trompe-l’œil effect: We began our race near the “Palais de la Découverte” to join quickly the river Seine at the level of the “Pont de l’Alma” (bridge of Alma). A important number of photographers had assembled near the Zouave, who has become again an attraction because of the important flood of the Seine, this June 2016: By the way, let us take back the photography of the Bridge of the Alma and the Eiffel Tower, don’t you notice anything new in this Parisian landscape? The new Russian Orthodox Church in Paris:Find the zouave and the usual level of the Seine here. This flood is impressive and offers surprising views: From the “Pont de l’Alma”, we climb the avenue of President Wilson to join the hill of Chaillot and the beautiful views of the Eiffel Tower since the Trocadéro: Later, we cross again the Seine by the bridge Alexandre III: We alternate then the beautiful routes, right bank and left bank with the pleasure of running in the Latin Quarter in the street Rollin, lined with buildings of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries where lived, in particular, the philosophers Pascal and Descartes: Merci Molly, merci Saul ! The route of the tour:
Very happy new year 2016!
Big thanks to the 300 runners who came to discover Paris with us in 2015! We wish you all a very happy 2016! Happy running!
The Parisian running competitions in 2016
A new year for the running competitions in Paris It is always a great pleasure to run on the Parisian roadway freed of cars, to be able to run on the avenue of the Opera or at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, in the woods of Boulogne and Vincennes (which belong to Paris), to go down the Champs Elysées running the first kilometer of the marathon… As every year now, we propose the 2016 list of the Parisian competitions, all those which take place in Paris. DISCOVER THE LIST => HERE
From the square of the United States to the Palais Royal with Eather and Chris
Chris and Heather – “Place des Etats Unis” (Place of the US) – Memorial to the American volunteers 10:02 AM – With Heather and Chris, runners living in Virginia (USA), we left the “place Charles de Gaulle-Etoile” to join the “Palais Royal” and its magnificent garden. Along the way, we crossed the “place des Etats-Unis”(square of the United States). Do you know the story of this name? Originally, this square was called the “Place of Bitche” (a city of Lorraine, France). The ambassador of the United States came to settle down there in 1881. Impossible to reside in a square named Bitche, “Bitch” being a rather vulgar English slang word. Paris agreed to rename the place “Place of the United States” (the “place de Bitche” being now situated in the 19th district of Paris). The new name is well appropriate for the location, numerous points of this place are indeed connected to the United States of America, the statue of La Fayette and Washington shaking hands, the public garden Thomas Jefferson in the center, the statue of the American dentist Horace Wells who participated in the discovery of the anesthesia, the monument to the American Volunteers (photo above), etc. This monument pays tribute to the American volunteers enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and who succumbed by fighting during the World War I. Among them, the poet Alan Seeger. We followed our route and enjoyed our first beautiful point of view of the Eiffel Tower, the avenue of President Wilson: Heather and Chris – Avenue of the President Wilson Avenue of President Wilson, a reference to the United States again. This avenue leads itself to the “Place d’Iéna” in the middle of which appears a George Washington’s equestrian statue! Heather and Chris – Eiffel tower New stop, in the front of the Eiffel Tower this time. Notice the ball between the first one and the second floor. It is an huge tennis ball! Indeed, it is the period of “Roland Garros” tennis tournament. Having enjoyed the banks of the Seine and its numerous magnificent sites, we paused in the Louvre. Look at the Marly Courtyard: Heather and Chris – The Louvre – the Marly courtyard (The flash did not work!) In this blog, we spoke about the famous horses of Marly during a Paris visit with Mary. After leaving the museum, we found the sun again within the magnificent garden of the Palais Royal (many roses!): Merci Chris ! Merci Heather ! The route of the tour :
Under the Eiffel tower with Rachel
Under the Eiffel Tower – Far off the Palais de Chaillot and the garden of Trocadéro 7:32 AM – Rachel, from Wales, is a regular runner with very good results… After the running tour in Paris, she arrived recently second woman of a half marathon. At present, she prepares for the next London Marathon. In this beginning of March, the sun is with us for an attractive tour of Paris by running. Look at the photo above, we are just under the Eiffel Tower. Early morning in March, the place is very quiet. Compare with the crowd that we can find on Easter Mondays for example or on a summer weekend there… Running early morning in Paris is a delight! Far off, on the other side of the Seine, we can recognize the majestic “Palais de Chaillot” which was built for the World Fair of 1937, last World Fair in Paris. The Palace of Chaillot replaced the Palace of Trocadéro built in the same place, that time for the World Fair of 1878: Aerial view of the “Palais du Trocadéro” – 1934 By the way, do you know what “Trocadéro” means? It is a fort which is situated in Cadiz in Spain and the place of a French victory; France came to help Spain to restore the absolute monarchy in 1823 (the king Louis XVIII reigns at that time in France). The Palace of the Trocadéro built in 1878 (and then the “Place du Trocadéro”) owes its name to a royalist victory! We went for running early, accompanied by the rising sun which lit for us the magnificent monuments of Paris: The Arc de Triomphe. We are in his shadow, the sun beginning to light the Champs-Elysées Palais Galliera Museum of the fashion with until, August 23rd, 2015, the exhibition dedicated to Jeanne Lanvin The Eiffel tower – We are at the “Palais de Chaillot”! The Alexandre III bridge with in the back the statue symbolizing the France of the Renaissance. At the top of the pylon, one of the four Fames: The Fame of the War. These four statues were covered with gold leaves in 1989. The Bridge of the Arts and in the back, the “Galerie du bord de l’eau” of the Louvre – The “Pont des Arts”, known these last years for all the padlocks which where put there by the loving tourists, is at present protected by wooden panels. These panels covered by graffitis spoil a little the beauty of the place. It should be temporary. The Palais Royal and its famous Columns of Buren (“Les deux plateaux”). The “Théâtre Ephémère” (short-lived theater) now disappeared. This wooden theater had welcomed temporarily the troop of the “Comédie Française” during the works of the “Palais Royal”. We can see again the garden of the “Palais Royal” through the columns. The Garden of the Tuileries – Our shadows are still very long! Merci Rachel ! We wish you a great London Marathon! The route of the tour: