Marathon races near Valbonne

Courir pour une Fleur is a road-race weekend in Antibes, on the French Riviera, with adult races typically held around Cap d'Antibes in autumn. The primary distances are a 10 km race and a half marathon; recent information indicates the shorter distance is 9.7 km. The event is organized by the Antibes sports department and Espérance Racing Athlétisme d'Antibes, expecting over 4,000 participants annually. The adult races commence in the morning by the sea, with Salis beach and Le Ponteil designated as the race area. The course follows roads alongside the Mediterranean, circling Cap d'Antibes with the Côte d'Azur coastline consistently in view. The weekend also features children's races at Fort Carré stadium, with distances ranging from 765 m to 2,650 m for various age groups. This is a long-standing local event, having passed its fortieth edition, attracting a diverse field from young athletes to juniors, seniors, masters, club runners, and local participants.

Roc d'Azur Trail is the running component of Roc d'Azur, a large mountain-bike event in the Var department of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It takes place in early October, concurrent with the VTT races that began with 7 riders and now attract over 20,000 participants across their various formats annually. The trail running schedule offers five distances: 43 km, 32 km, 22 km, 16 km, and 5.5 km. Separate routes are available for walkers, with options of 22 km, 13 km, 8 km, and 5 km. The routes traverse the area between the Mediterranean coast and the inland hills surrounding Fréjus, Roquebrune-sur-Argens, Saint-Raphaël, and Sainte-Maxime. Runners will encounter oak and pine forests, vineyard plains, lakes, rivers, coastal paths, small inlets, and sections within the Massif des Maures and the Massif de l’Estérel. The Estérel terrain features limestone and red rock, while the broader Var region includes natural parks, Provençal forests, and approximately 300 days of sunshine annually. This event serves as an entry point to one of Europe's largest off-road sporting weekends, rather than being solely a mountain race.

Roc Trail begins and ends at Place Perrin in Roquebrune-sur-Argens, incorporating trail running into the broader Roc d’Azur weekend on Sunday. It offers participants four course choices: 50 km with 1,575 m of elevation gain, 33 km with 1,045 m, 22 km with 600 m, and 13 km with 310 m. The races are centered on the Rocher de Roquebrune area, meaning even the shorter routes involve significant climbing, not a flat, easy run. The series targets trail running specialists aiming to engage with Roc d’Azur through their preferred discipline, alongside regular Roc d’Azur attendees exploring a new outdoor format. This follows the event's expansion beyond its initial mountain-bike focus to include triathlon and gravel events.

Trail des Baous takes place the weekend of July 15-16 in Saint-Jeannet, organized by Longo Trail. It offers mountain running above the French Riviera, distinct from a flat road race. The primary trail events are a 42 km with 2,200 m of elevation gain and an 18 km with 850 m of gain, providing options for a long mountain run or a shorter, hilly trail race. The routes are set between the Mercantour mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, with views toward the Esterel massif and the Italian coast. The weekend also features the Foulée des Baous races alongside the main trail challenge: a 10 km with 250 m of climbing, a 5 km with 120 m of climbing, and children's races. This format establishes it as a local running festival rather than a singular event.

The Semi-Marathon International de Nice is a half marathon held annually in April in Nice, France, following the city's Mediterranean coast. The primary event is 21.1 km, complemented by a 10K, a 5K, and a 5 km family relay, ensuring participation beyond dedicated half-marathon competitors. The half marathon has an elevation gain of approximately 65 metres, and the 10K about 31 metres, offering routes that are accessible yet not entirely flat. Azur Sport Organisation manages the event, with both the half marathon and 10K open to para-athletes. The race commences near Jardin Albert 1er and the Théâtre de Verdure, proceeding through notable Nice streets and waterfront landmarks such as the Promenade des Anglais, Hôtel Negresco, Port Lympia, and Place Masséna. Established in the early 1990s, it quickly attracted a more competitive international field, particularly from East Africa; since the mid-1990s, only two non-Kenyan men have won. No male runner has secured victory more than once, whereas Romania's Alina Gherasim achieved three consecutive wins in the women's race. The event also supports charity, donating one euro from each entry fee to the Banque Alimentaire des Alpes-Maritimes, and participants can engage in a Breakfast Run the day prior.