Marathon races near Obernai

The Marathon des 3 Pays du Rhin is a road race that takes place around Basel and the Rhine border region, connecting Switzerland, France, and Germany. It is known as a “3 in 1” event because participants run through Basel, Saint-Louis, Huningue, and Weil am Rhein, crossing national borders. The event has offered 5 km, 10 km, half-marathon, and full marathon distances, along with a duo option for pairs tackling the longer distances. The course begins in Basel, a Swiss city on the Rhine. It then proceeds through the adjacent border towns of the Upper Rhine region, making it a cross-border event on public roads. The French segments run through Saint-Louis and Huningue in the Haut-Rhin department, and the German section goes to Weil am Rhein. While described as an established event, sources indicate the marathon has had its final edition, suggesting it is a race with a distinct local history rather than a recurring annual fixture.

The Corrida de Noël in Illkirch-Graffenstaden is a Christmas-season road running series offering a half marathon, a 10 km, and a 5 km. It has grown significantly, from approximately 2,800 runners to 4,800. Demand now exceeds capacity, with all three distances selling out weeks before race day, leaving hundreds without a bib. The organizers introduced new routes to accommodate more participants, allocating about 1,800 places for the half marathon, 2,000 for the 10 km, and 1,000 for the 5 km. The races traverse the streets of Illkirch, where weather conditions are a notable factor: recent editions have featured sun, rain, and snow. The lead pack in the half marathon often includes serious local competitors, such as Laurent Tsang-Chun-Sze, a previous winner aiming to reclaim the title.

The Semi-marathon de La Wantzenau is the main event of the Courses de La Wantzenau, a Sunday running festival in La Wantzenau. The program includes a half marathon and a 5 km race. The field is often large for a local road race, with close to 2,000 participants across all events. The half marathon has seen unexpected outcomes: Tristan Kirscher won it, setting a personal best, and Latifa Mokhtari also took first place over the distance. The 5 km race attracts swift runners as well; Quentin Perraudin and Caroline El Himer won the shorter event, with El Himer also achieving a personal best.

Ekiden de Strasbourg is a team road relay held in Strasbourg, France, typically in early April. The primary format is a full marathon divided among six runners over 42.195 km, featuring legs of 5 km, 10 km, 5 km, 10 km, 5 km, and 7.195 km, allowing teams to distribute the effort based on distance and runner capability. Two shorter team options are also available: a four-runner relay with legs of 10 km, 15 km, 10 km, and 7.195 km, and a 20 km duo race consisting of four 5 km laps. The course utilizes a 5 km loop that begins and ends at Place Jeanne Helbling, proceeding through Strasbourg’s newer districts from Malraux towards the Citadelle. Participants will run along sections of the canal and the Rhône au Rhin before passing through Parc de la Citadelle, a design that simplifies the repeated-loop structure for both participants and observers. The event is part of the National Ekiden Series, with category victors in the Ekiden qualifying for Ekiden de Paris. The prior running attracted over 900 participants in the six-person Ekiden and more than 300 in the four-person relay, with post-race refreshments featuring Alsatian specialties like Baeckeoffe, Spätzle, and Lewerknepfle.