Paris 2027 by lottery: 166,000 entries for about 60,000 bibs

To run the Paris Marathon on 4 April 2027, signing up on the first day is no longer enough. For this edition, bibs are allocated by lottery, and between 8 and 30 September there were 166,000 applications for the marathon and nearly 110,000 for the half, as two specialist French sites report. The arithmetic is easy to do and easy to get wrong. Here is how it works, what your real chances look like, and what makes sense if the draw goes against you.

How the lottery works, step by step

Applications opened on 8 September at 14:00 and closed on 30 September at 23:59. Entering the draw costs nothing, and results started going out by email on 1 October. Being drawn does not mean you already have the bib: according to Stadion, whoever is picked has 72 hours to confirm and pay. The public price of the marathon, quoted in September, is 169 euros, with a 5% discount for FFA licence holders. Prices change, so check the official site before you count it in your budget.

The rough maths: what are your chances?

The simplest calculation: the organiser aims for around 60,000 marathon runners. If every application had the same chance, 166,000 entries would give about 36%, a little more than one in three. But that number is misleading, and the analysis by Reference Trail says so too. There are separate quotas, a first draw reserved for a thousand people from a group called Passerelle, and around a thousand charity bibs at 50 euros.

We cannot give you an exact probability, because the full split between quotas is not in the sources we read. The 5% FFA discount applies to the price, not to the draw. What we can do is line up the dates side by side, so you make the decision with the numbers in front of you.

Plan B: Milan runs on the same day

On 4 April 2027 the Wizz Air Milano Marathon also takes place, its 25th edition, as the official race site states. Registration closes on 31 March 2027 at 23:59, but the site does not say when general entries open, and we could not find that date elsewhere: check the site directly. The practical point is simple: you cannot run two marathons on the same day. If you want a plan B, choose the race before the draw result, so you are not deciding in a rush.

Twenty-one weeks, more or less

For a reference point, use the marathon time calculator starting from a recent race, even a half or a 10 km, to see whether the goal in your head fits your pace. The Paris half-marathon is on 7 March 2027: if you want a test halfway through the build, that is the date to mark. For other spring marathons, our guide to the 2027 Rome Marathon shows one way to compare dates and sign-up windows. The other 2027 races are in the 2027 calendar, where you can compare dates before choosing a backup.

Is the lottery a trend or a one-off?

We don't know. In the sources we read the news concerns Paris, and we found no other city making the same choice. So we are not talking about a trend, but about a case that seems worth explaining. The striking number is demand: 166,000 applications for a race of around 60,000 places tells you that Paris is a goal for a huge number of people. Experienced runners treat the lottery as one more uncertainty to plan around. First-time marathoners would do well to choose a backup race before they know the draw result.

Does the lottery cost anything if I am not drawn?

No: entering the draw does not require payment. Payment only comes into play if you are selected, and according to Stadion you have 72 hours to confirm the bib.

Does being drawn mean I have the bib?

No. The draw gives you the right to buy the bib within the stated deadline. Read the instructions in the email and the official rules, because a late payment could cost you your place.

And you? Have you ever entered a lottery for a marathon? Did it get you to the start line, or did you end up on plan B? Tell us in the comments: the stories of people who tried more than once are the ones we find most interesting.

Sources: Stadion, 9 September 2026; Stadion, 1 October 2026; Reference Trail, 1 October 2026; Milano Marathon, official FAQ.