Semi-Marathon de la Coulée Verte

The Semi-Marathon de la Coulée Verte is an October road race in Niort, the main city of France’s Deux-Sèvres department. The headline distance is the half marathon, but the day also includes an 8 km race, an 8 km handisport race, and children’s and junior races, functioning as a city running festival rather than a single-distance event. More than 5,000 runners participate each year, with over 10,000 spectators along the route. The name originates from the Coulée Verte, a green path following the Sèvre Niortaise river through Niort. The races utilize city streets, pass through the Jardin des Plantes, and conclude at the Jardins de la Brèche, a central public garden. Orchestras provide music on race day, and the event’s slogan, “En vert et pour tous !”, reflects its diverse field of half-marathon runners, shorter-distance entrants, handisport athletes, and younger racers. It is also commonly known as the Semi-Marathon de Niort, and it has been held for over thirty years.