About
The Marathon Poitiers Futuroscope is a May road race connecting Poitiers' historic center with the Futuroscope site to the north. The main event is a 42.195 km marathon, complemented by a 21.1 km half marathon, 10 km and 5 km races, a four-person relay, and a middle school race. Established in 2004, it was initially named Marathon Futuroscope-Haut Poitou before adopting its present title. Approximately 1,000 participants compete in the marathon, and about 1,200 in the half marathon, welcoming both amateur and professional runners.
The course crosses notable Poitiers locations such as Place du Marechal-Leclerc, Parc de Blossac, the Leon-Blum viaduct, the train station, Porte de Paris, and the Clain riverbanks. Beyond the city limits, it has gone through Buxerolles and Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, passed the Chateau de Dissay on certain routes, and concludes at the Palais des Congres du Futuroscope. Previous iterations began in Parc de Blossac, heading towards the Saint-Cyr leisure park before looping back to Futuroscope. The marathon holds national certification from the French Athletics Federation, while the half marathon has regional certification. Participants may extend their visit with a trip to the Futuroscope theme park.