Preparing for the 2027 Nantes Marathon: the Loire, the Erdre and a rolling course

A course of bridges and riverbanks

The route crosses the Loire several times, follows the Erdre northwards then returns via the Île de Nantes. Cumulated climbing is around 120 metres, almost entirely made of bridges and their ramps.

The surface is good, the crowd dense in the centre, sparser along the banks. The plan schedules a long run with false-flat surges to get used to bridge ramps.

A preparation that overlaps Paris

Late April: a 16-week plan from early January, or 12 weeks from early February. It is exactly the same window as the Paris Marathon, three weeks earlier: Nantes is the ideal fallback for anyone without a Paris bib.

The AI coach reads your actual sessions every week on Garmin and applies its cold rule in January and February, then releases the adapted paces as soon as spring arrives.

Pacing strategy in Nantes

Instruction: first three kilometres at target pace plus 10 seconds, target pace afterwards, plus 10 seconds on each bridge ramp without making it up on the descent. The westerly wind along the Loire is handled at the low end of the range.

• — January: volume, long run up to 2 h.
• — February-March: marathon-pace blocks, long runs with surges.
• — April: taper, last long run three weeks out.

The return into the centre via the Île de Nantes is carried by the crowd: wait for the last two kilometres to let go.

Frequently asked questions