Paris Half Marathon 2027 fueling guide: aid stations, start waves, and a plan for every finish time

The Paris Half Marathon, the HOKA Semi de Paris, is on Sunday, March 7, 2027. The 2027 course, start times, and aid stations are not published yet; the organizer says the course will be revealed in early 2027. Based on the last edition’s official guide, expect no cups or bottles on the course: you bring a reusable cup, soft flask, or hydration pack and refill it at the stations. In 2026 those were water fountains at the start, full stations at 4.5, 9, and 15.5 km, lemon electrolytes at 15 km, and water at 19 km. No gels were handed out. If your plan uses gels, carry all of them.

The organizer calls it the world’s largest half marathon: 50,000 people lined up in 2026, a record. That size shapes everything about fueling, from wave start times that ran from 8:00 to 11:24 a.m. to busy refill points. This guide lists what is confirmed for 2027, uses the last edition’s official station plan as a working plan, clearly labelled, shows when you reach each station at your pace, and gives three plans to choose from. Recheck everything in race week.

Paris Half Marathon 2027: what is confirmed so far

The 2027 FAQ says refreshment stations, medical help, and runner services will be provided, with locations and details sent before the race. It also says the start and finish zones, access routes, and times will be shared ahead of race day. So treat the last edition’s plan as the most likely shape of the race, not a promise. When the 2027 map comes out, check three things first: whether you still need your own container, where the first full station is, and whether any gels are handed out.

Paris Half Marathon ravitaillements: what was on the course last edition

The table follows the official 2026 refreshment plan and course profile. The 2027 course will be different, so the kilometre marks will move. The pattern is the useful part: a refill every 4 to 6.5 km, food at most stops, and one electrolyte point late in the race.

The food at the full stations was bananas, fruit jellies, marble cake, dried fruit, and salted crackers. The race’s own race-day page also listed gingerbread and dried apricots. The organizer gives no portion sizes, so count station food as a bonus rather than planned grams. If you want to use it, practise eating banana and fruit jellies on long runs. Volunteers helped fill containers, and the fountain push-buttons were spread along each station: the organizer asked runners to move further along if the first ones were busy. The race rules also said there would be feeding points about every 5 km and after the finish.

The no-cup rule is the biggest change for visitors. A soft flask in the hand or a small hydration vest lets you drink when you want rather than only at stations. A reusable cup is lighter, but you have to stop or slow down to fill it and drink. Whatever you choose, use it on at least two long runs. Keep your bib on the front of your chest and not under a vest strap, because the race needs to read your timing chip.

When you will reach each station at your pace

The table uses the 2026 station kilometres and an even pace, measured from when you cross the start mat. It shows how long you run on what you carry. A 1:30 runner reaches the 9 km station after 38 minutes. A 2:45 runner gets there after 1:10 and then runs 51 minutes to the next full station.

The last edition’s time limit was 3 hours from when the last runner crossed the start line. Runners caught by the closing vehicles were taken out of the race and had to carry on under the road rules, without aid stations. The 2026 pacers ran with flags for 1:30, 1:35, 1:40, 1:45, 1:50, 2:00, and 2:05 to 2:10.

Pick your plan: three runner profiles

The World Athletics consensus on distance running and the ACSM position stand both give 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour for events of about one to two and a half hours. For efforts of roughly 45 to 75 minutes, they suggest small amounts or a sports drink mouth rinse. Intakes above 60 g per hour belong to longer races and need a glucose plus fructose product and a trained gut. With 25 g gels, one every 30 minutes gives 50 g per hour and one every 25 minutes gives 60 g. Because the last edition handed out no gels, every gram in these plans comes from your pocket unless you have trained with the station food.

Racing it: your race is short, so the job is to start full and top up. A 1:30 runner at 40 g per hour needs about 60 g in the race, which is two 25 to 30 g gels. Take the first at about 25 to 30 minutes, between the 4.5 and 9 km stations, and the second at about 55 to 65 minutes, after the 9 km refill. You can skip the food tables entirely. In a dense field, do not swerve across the road for a fountain you do not need.

Steady half: think in grams. A 2:00 race at 55 g per hour is about 110 g, which is four 25 g gels or three plus a little station food. A simple rhythm is a gel at about 0:25, around the 4.5 km station, one at 0:50 as you reach 9 km, one at 1:15 before the electrolyte point, and an optional fourth near 1:35. Refill at 9 km so you have water for the long stretch to 15.5 km.

Long day: more time on your feet means more fuel. Fifty grams per hour over 2:45 is about 137 g, or five 25 g gels. Take one every 30 minutes, at 0:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, and 2:30, and refill at 4.5, 9, and 15.5 km. If you have practised with bananas or fruit jellies, take a piece at 9 km and swap out a gel. Small, frequent doses sit better than big ones.

Paris Half Marathon gels, caffeine, and sodium

• Gels: none were handed out at the last edition. Bring every gel you plan to use, plus one spare, in a pocket or belt you have run with.
• Caffeine: the ISSN position stand supports 3 to 6 mg per kg taken about 60 minutes before exercise. A 70 kg runner is at 210 mg with 3 mg per kg. Time it from your wave’s start, not 8:00 a.m.
• Late waves: if your wave starts after 10:00 a.m., coffee with breakfast will have worn off. A practised caffeinated gel 30 to 45 minutes before your start is easier to time.
• Sodium: the Tā lemon electrolytes at 15 km were the only electrolyte drink on the 2026 course. In a cool March half that is enough for nearly everyone. Salty sweaters on a warm day may want a tested salt product as well.
• Open your gel before a station, so you can take it and wash it down with a refill in one go.

Hydration for a cool March morning in Paris

Météo-France’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Paris-Montsouris give March an average high of 12.8 °C (55 °F), an average low of 5.6 °C (42 °F), about 45 mm of rain, and 9.5 days with at least 1 mm of rain. Sunrise on March 7, 2027, is at about 7:23 a.m. So early waves start in cold air, while late waves run near the warmest part of the day. In cool weather, sweat losses over a half are modest. Drink to thirst, and do not finish heavier than you started: World Athletics warns against drinking more than you sweat.

• Wet is as likely as warm in March. Bring a throwaway layer or bin bag for the corral, and keep gels in a zip pocket.
• Fill your container at the start-area fountains before you enter your corral. In 2026 corrals opened about 15 minutes before each wave.
• In 2026 the bag drop was on Boulevard de la Bastille and had a size limit of 45 x 36 x 20 cm. Recheck the 2027 rules.
• Seek help at a medical post for confusion, severe headache, repeated vomiting, or collapse.

Breakfast for your start wave

A familiar carbohydrate-rich meal one to four hours before racing is the standard advice in both the World Athletics consensus and the ACSM position stand. In Paris the hard part is knowing when you start. In 2026 the elites and first preferential corral started at 8:00, the 1:30 corral at 8:04, 1:35 at 8:19, 1:40 at 8:38, 1:45 at 8:57, 1:50 at 9:34, 2:00 at 10:24, and 2:10 and over at 11:24. Each corral opened 15 minutes before its start. The 2027 waves will be set by the new organizer, so plan from your own wave when it is sent.

• Early waves (around 8:00): a practised breakfast at about 5:00 to 5:30 a.m., such as a baguette or oatmeal with honey, a banana, and a familiar drink, about 1 to 2 g of carbohydrate per kg.
• Middle waves (around 8:30 to 9:30): breakfast about 3 hours before your start, then a banana or a few plain crackers 60 to 90 minutes before.
• Late waves (10:00 and later): a normal breakfast at your usual time, then a second small carbohydrate snack about 90 minutes before your start. Do not run on a 6:00 a.m. breakfast alone.
• Ten to fifteen minutes before your start: an optional gel, only if used in training.
• The day before, eat normal meals with extra carbohydrate. A half does not need a full marathon carb load.

Paris Half Marathon course tactics: a new course every year

The organizer promises a new course every year and wants to pass through all 20 Paris arrondissements over four editions. It describes climbs, false flats, long straights, and cobblestones as part of running Paris. The 2027 map is not out, so any course detail below is from 2026 and is only a guide to the kind of race to expect.

• The 2026 course started on Boulevard Saint-Germain near the Institut du Monde Arabe, ran along the Seine past the Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand, looped through the Bois de Vincennes from about 5 to 14 km, and came back via Bercy, the quays, Rue de Rivoli, and Rue Saint-Antoine to Place de la Bastille.
• The 2026 profile had 166 m (545 ft) of climbing and 155 m (509 ft) of descent. The high point, about 70 m, came near 9 km in the Bois de Vincennes, with a short rise just after 15 km. The numbers are read from the official profile and are approximate.
• The first kilometres are crowded in any wave. Start easy and take your first gel once the field spreads out.
• Take gels on smooth tarmac, not on cobbles or in a tight turn, where your eyes should be on your feet.
• Save a little for the last 2 km. In 2026 the only stop after 15.5 km was water at 19 km.

The long-run rehearsal that makes the plan real

With about eighteen weeks to go, you have time to practise properly. In January and February, do at least two runs of 16 to 21 km (10 to 13 miles) at your wave’s likely start time, after the breakfast you plan to eat, carrying the same flask or vest and the same gels. Refill your container from a tap or fountain partway through, so the race stop feels routine. If you think you will use the station bananas or fruit jellies, eat them on one of these runs.

Many runners use Paris as a tune-up for the Paris Marathon four weeks later, on April 4, 2027. If that is you, rehearse your marathon gels and container here too: the marathon’s last edition also had no cups on the course. The best half marathon plan is the one you can still follow at 15 km in a crowd of 50,000.

Race-week Paris Half checklist

• Read the 2027 course page and practical guide when they are posted: confirm the station kilometres, the container rule, any electrolyte or gel points, and your wave time.
• Plan breakfast and caffeine from your own wave’s start, not from the first gun.
• Pack your container, every gel you need, and one spare. Write grams and timing on one card.
• Check the forecast 48 hours out and adjust layers, fluid, and sodium, not the whole plan.
• Know your metro route to the start area; in 2026 several central stations served the start.
• Do not switch to a new gel at the expo because the flavor sounds good.

Frequently asked questions

Sources and update notes

1. 1HOKA Semi de Paris 2027HOKA Semi de Paris (Cadence Running United)Accessed November 2, 2026; March 7, 2027 date, lottery closed, resale platform from December 1, course revealed in early 2027, organized by Cadence Running United
2. 2FAQHOKA Semi de Paris (Cadence Running United)Accessed November 2, 2026; lottery dates, €79 general entry fee, 2027 course, start, finish, and refreshment details to come
3. 3Get Half-Marathon Ready and The CourseHOKA Semi de Paris (Cadence Running United)Accessed November 2, 2026; 21.097 km, about 110,000 lottery entries, new course every year, interactive 2027 map with aid stations to come, all 20 arrondissements over four editions
4. 4Refreshments (2026 edition, archived)HOKA Semi de Paris (A.S.O.)Last edition refreshment plan: no cups or bottles, start fountains, full stations at 4.5, 9, and 15.5 km, Tā lemon electrolytes at 15 km, water at 19 km, food list
5. 5D-Day (2026 edition, archived)HOKA Semi de Paris (A.S.O.)Last edition: bring your own container, food at stations, 3-hour limit, pacers, bag drop on Boulevard de la Bastille, bib on the front of the chest
6. 6Route and Profile (2026 edition, archived)HOKA Semi de Paris (A.S.O.)Last edition course map and profile: 166 m climbing, 155 m descent, station positions
7. 7Discover the Start and Finish Area Map (2026 edition, archived)HOKA Semi de Paris (A.S.O.)Last edition wave entry and start times, from 7:58 to 11:24 a.m.
8. 8HOKA Semi de Paris 2026 Rules (PDF)A.S.O.Wave starts, feeding points about every 5 km and after the finish, 3-hour limit from the last starter
9. 950,000 Runners at the Heart of Paris for the World’s Largest Half Marathon (archived)HOKA Semi de Paris (A.S.O.)50,000 starters in 2026; course from Boulevard Saint-Germain to Place de la Bastille via the Seine and the Bois de Vincennes
10. 10Cadence Running United officiellement lancéeCadence Running UnitedNew organizer of the Marathon de Paris and Semi de Paris from 2027
11. 11Fiche climatologique Paris-Montsouris, 1991 to 2020 (PDF)Météo-FranceMarch average high 12.8 °C, average low 5.6 °C, 45.2 mm rain, 9.5 days with at least 1 mm
12. 12NOAA Solar CalculatorNOAA Global Monitoring LaboratorySunrise in Paris on March 7, 2027, about 7:23 a.m. CET
13. 13International Association of Athletics Federations Consensus Statement 2019: Nutrition for AthleticsInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019), PMID 30952204Pre-race meal, carbohydrate, and hydration guidance
14. 14Contemporary Nutrition Strategies to Optimize Performance in Distance Runners and Race WalkersInternational Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (Burke et al., 2019), PMID 30747558Carbohydrate intake during events of one to two and a half hours and longer
15. 15Nutrition and Athletic Performance: Joint Position StatementMedicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (Thomas et al., 2016), PMID 2689116630 to 60 g per hour for 1 to 2.5 hours; small amounts or mouth rinse for 45 to 75 minutes; 1 to 4 g per kg before exercise
16. 16A Step Towards Personalized Sports Nutrition: Carbohydrate Intake During ExerciseSports Medicine (Jeukendrup, 2014), PMID 24791914Multiple transportable carbohydrates and intakes above 60 g per hour
17. 17International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Caffeine and Exercise PerformanceJISSN (Guest et al., 2021), PMID 333880793 to 6 mg per kg about 60 minutes before exercise