Biarritz Pays Basque International Marathon: Course, Elevation & Route Profile

Course & Elevation

Start and finish are at the Aguiléra stadium on the east side of Biarritz. The first half runs through the hinterland at 45 to 80 metres: after a spin through town the course dips around kilometre 5 and climbs straight back out, and up to kilometre 16 come five ramps of 300 metres to a kilometre, averaging five to six percent with short, much steeper pitches. In between lie the villages the organiser deliberately routes the race through.

From kilometre 19 the course drops to the coast at Bidart and stays close to sea level between kilometres 22 and 28. Then comes the longest climb of the day: 1.6 kilometres and about 65 metres up into Bidart, where the relay also makes its last handover. The closing stretch runs via Ilbarritz and the seafront into Biarritz, with two last ramps at kilometres 34 and 38 before the return to the stadium.

The race has run since 2023 and grew quickly: in 2026 the weekend drew 18,000 participants across all distances, almost half of them women. The organisers put Basque language and culture along the route on purpose and say themselves that this is a country that makes its runners earn it.

Pacing Strategy

On this course an even pace per kilometre is the wrong target. Run on effort: let the pace drop noticeably on the ramps in the hinterland and take it back for free on the descents that follow. Taking every climb in the first half at goal pace is paid for on the way home.

The long coastal stretch between kilometres 22 and 28 is flat and tempts you to speed up. Hold your pace there, because straight afterwards comes the longest climb of the race at kilometre 28, just when the legs are getting heavy anyway.

Once you are up in Bidart, what remains is the seafront section and two short ramps at kilometres 34 and 38. Keep reserves for them on purpose; if you have them, the last kilometres into the stadium are where you can still gain time.

Training plan for Biarritz Pays Basque International Marathon: 12-week build

For most age-group runners this marathon takes between three and a half and five hours, and the rolling profile adds noticeably to the time compared with a flat city marathon. Aerobic endurance is still the base, but it has to hold up on changing terrain.

Put your long runs on hilly routes where short climbs of 300 metres to a kilometre repeat. That gets the legs used to the constant switch between uphill and downhill that runs through all 42 kilometres here. Short hill sprints and hill repeats add the strength for the steep pitches.

Downhill running matters just as much. The descent to the coast from kilometre 19 and the drop after every ramp load the quads, and without training for it they will be missing on the climb into Bidart. Build controlled downhill sections into your runs regularly.

Also practise running on feel instead of pace, for example long runs in which you deliberately give up speed on the climbs. Test your fuelling in long sessions, because the aid stations sit in rolling terrain rather than on a flat straight.