Race Across Paris 2026 - Les Boucles de Chantilly
Race Across Paris 2026 - Les Boucles de Chantilly
Ultra-cycling event - Ăle-de-France, Normandie, Hauts-de-France
Course designed by Race Across - Traced and recognized by Pierre Lugat
All our routes are still subject to modification following prefectoral authorizations and reconnaissance carried out up to a few weeks before the race. Please note that these routes are still subject to change - GPX files will be sent 30 days before the event.
Every spring, the Race Across Paris marks the grand launch of the ultra-cycling season. It's the first major event of the year, when ultra-cyclists come to test themselves, find their bearings and catch up with their fellow competitors after the winter months.
This is where it all begins: the kilometers, the cobblestones, the reunions. Around Chantilly, four formats - 200, 300, 500 and 1000 km - allow everyone to compete in the distance of their choice, on mythical and varied roads between Ăle-de-France, Normandy and Hauts-de-France. Paris is first and foremost a learning ground, a starting point for the season, and a collective experience where emotions, strategy and the beauty of the landscape come together.
đ Courses at a glance
đRAP 1000 - Les PavĂ©s
Two loops to link, a complete epic.
Loop 1: 555 km - 5500 m D+ (altitude gain)
From Chantilly to Honfleur via Paris, Meudon and Versailles.
>The Pont de Normandie is not included on the route!
Loop 2: 456 km - 3618 m D+ (altitude gain)
Northwards, in the footsteps of Paris-Roubaix and through the forest of CompiĂšgne.
The 1000km de Paris track - subject to prefectoral declarations and validations - GPX available 30 days before the event.
âïž RAP 500 - The essence of Ăle-de-France
Two loops to cover on a more compact format.
Loop 1: 319 km - 3500 m D+ (altitude gain)
Paris, Versailles, Vallée de Chevreuse, La Roche-Guyon and Parc du Vexin.
Loop 2: 216 km - 1600 m D+ (altitude gain)
Direction Amiens, the Evissons hills and back to Chantilly.
Non-definitive track of the RAP 500km - track subject to prefectoral declarations and validations - GPX available 30 days before the event.
RAP 300 & RAP 200
RAP 300: corresponds to Loop 1 of the 500 km
RAP 200: corresponds to Loop 2 of the 500 km
Two perfect formats for an introduction to ultra-distance racing, while taking in the capital and the legendary Montmartre climb.
RAP 1000 - Les Pavés
Two loops to link, a complete epic.
Loop 1 - Rue Lepic, then towards the sea and the cobblestones of Honfleur
The participants leave Chantilly and head south. The silhouette of Paris soon emerges on the horizon: the Eiffel Tower, the Invalides and the Grand Boulevards, still quiet at this hour.
And before they even leave the capital, participants will take in a now mythical passage: rue Lepic, in the heart of Montmartre.
Image IA - Chat GPT - illustrations rue Lepic
This short but nerve-wracking climb - around 900 m long for an average gradient of 6.4%, with passages at 9% - is a true symbol of Parisian cycling. Made famous after appearing on the route of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, then on the final stage of the 2025 Tour de France, it links the bottom of Place Blanche to the Butte Montmartre in a unique atmosphere of cobblestones, cafés and curious crowds. A nod to the history of cycling in the capital... and a little KOM to pick up for the more playful, before heading off to the cobblestones of Meudon...
Paris, Sacre coeur, Church image. Free for use.
A symbolic, almost solemn passage, before tackling the climb to theObservatoire de Meudon, the first challenge of the course. Its cobblestones, made famous by the classics, are a reminder that even here, just outside the capital, the history of cycling is intertwined with that of the roads.
Leaving the Paris region, the route skirts the monumental ChĂąteau de Versailles before heading due west towards the Seine valley. Riders cross the rolling countryside of the Yvelines, then reach the shores of Normandy. Kilometer after kilometer passes through Villennes, Caudebec-en-Caux, Pont-Audemer, and soon the sea.
Entering Honfleur is a moment of suspension: the cobbled streets, half-timbered facades and old dock provide an almost unreal backdrop after several hundred kilometers. The return to Chantilly takes us through the Parc naturel des Boucles de la Seine Normande, between forests, cliffs and sleepy villages - a passage of rare beauty before returning to the calm of Picardy.
The loop closes near the ChĂąteau de Chantilly, at the Basecamp, which welcomes participants for a well-deserved break before the second part of the route.
A word about the Chantilly Basecamp : the heart of the Race Across Paris
Chantilly Basecamp - photo @krynds
The ChantillyBasecamp is the nerve center of the Race Across Paris. Located not far from the ChĂąteau and at the heart of the start/finish area, it welcomes participants before, during and after their event. This is where the adventure begins... and where it ends.
What you'll find at Basecamp
Designed to offer comfort, safety and fluidity to all runners, the Basecamp brings together :
Equipment inspection and verification area
Collection of race bib and access to up-to-the-minute information
Refreshment area with hot and cold drinks and food adapted to ultra conditions
Rest area with benches and sheltered spaces + dormitory area with cots (please note that we cannot guarantee a place for everyone).
Medical team and first-aid area
Electrical recharging space (lamp, GPS, telephone)
Toilets & covered areas for shelter in inclement weather
A place to relax, breathe and refocus... before setting off again.
Unlike the rest of the course - where assistance is strictly forbidden - the Chantilly Basecamp is the only official area where outside assistance is permitted.
Participants can get help from :
Their family
Their friends
Their support team
A dedicated crew
A place to meet and relax
Chantilly is also a human space: a place where loved ones encourage, warm and smile, where volunteers welcome runners with kindness, where everyone recharges their batteries - physically and mentally.
It's breathing before the big effort or between the two loops of the 1000 km. It's the return to calm after the finish. It's the symbol of the Race Across Paris experience.
Don't forget to read the article on Damien Vuillier, who has used the strength of family to perform better on the RAP : read the article here
Damien Vuillier on the Race Across Paris 2024 - photo @edouard hanotte
Loop 2 - Les pavés du Nord
The second loop takes riders on mythical roads to the north of France. Head for PĂ©ronne, whose chĂąteau houses the Historial de la Grande Guerre - a reminder of the past that these lands still bear.
Further on, the road approaches Douai, then the atmosphere changes: the roads become narrower, the ground rougher, the air more charged. The first cobbled sections are approaching.
The Trouée d'Arenberg appears like a scar in the forest: 2.3 km of disjointed, irregular cobblestones, dreaded by every racer. This is where part of the Paris-Roubaix myth is played out. Wheels search for their line, hands clench, vibrations rise to the heart - a brutal but unforgettable passage.
The mythical trouée d'Arenberg during the 2021 edition of Paris-Roubaix. - Christophe Petit Tesson / EPA
Barely recovered, the cobblestones of Hornaing and Wandignies-Hamage come into play, long and tiring, where the slightest false move can be costly. But between two sectors, the raw beauty of the North is revealed: fields as far as the eye can see, slag heaps on the horizon, red-brick villages.
Return to Chantilly via the Aisne, before plunging into the forest of CompiĂšgne, a mecca of cycling and history. The majestic ChĂąteau de Pierrefonds rises out of the forest like a fairy-tale setting. And to conclude this 1,000-kilometre odyssey, a final wink: a cobbled passage through the center of Senlis, a reminder that this event, from start to finish, is a tribute to the road.
Chateau de Pierrefonds - royalty-free photo
âïž RAP 500 - The essence of Ăle-de-France
Two loops to cover on a more compact format.
Loop 1: 319 km - 3500 m D+
Versailles, Vallée de Chevreuse, La Roche-Guyon and Parc du Vexin.Loop 2: 216 km - 1600 m D+
Direction Amiens, the Evoissons hills and back to Chantilly.
Loop 1 - Valleys and castles (319 km - 3500 m D+)
Just like the 1000 km, the RAP 500, as well as the 300 and 200 km formats, pass through Paris from the very first kilometers.
Rue Lepic is a highlight: this ascent through the heart of Montmartre, made mythical by the 2024 Olympics and the 2025 Tour, symbolizes the link between popular cycling and sporting challenge.
The route then, like the 1000 km, heads towards Versailles, then Jouy-en-Josas and the Vallée de Chevreuse, the favorite training ground of Parisian cyclists. Short but rhythmic climbs follow each other, before reaching La Roche-Guyon, a jewel nestled at the foot of its cliff.
The route then heads north through the Parc du Vexin Français, where stone villages and long wooded roads give a foretaste of adventure.
The return to Chantilly is via wide forest paths, with a final pass in front of the chĂąteau.
Loop 2 - Between cathedrals and valleys (216 km - 1600 m D+)
Amiens Cathedral, royalty-free photo -
Then it's north. After passing through the Oise plains, participants reach Amiens, where Notre-Dame Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece, dominates the horizon. The route then crosses the Ăvoissons, a wild, undulating area, before beginning a smoother return to Chantilly. The last few kilometers are to be savored: the fatigue is there, but so is the satisfaction of having completed a demanding, dense and varied event.
 RAP 300 & RAP 200 - Spirit without excess
The 300 km and 200 km formats are based on the first and second loops of the RAP 500 respectively. Two more accessible options, ideal for living the Race Across Paris experience without necessarily plunging into the night or dealing with the constraints of long ultra-distance. These formats concentrate on the essentials: the emblematic landscapes of the Ăle-de-France region, short but rhythmic climbs, stone villages, deep forests and passages steeped in history.
On the 300 km, participants enjoy a varied and dynamic route, with Paris and its mythical Montmartre climb, Versailles, the Vallée de Chevreuse and La Roche-Guyon. A perfect blend of everything we love about Parisian cycling: pace, character and superb panoramas.
The more compact 200 km also offers a dense journey: Amiens, the wild hills of the Evois, the long straights of the Oise and the gradual return to Chantilly. An ideal route for those who want to set themselves an ambitious challenge without the exhaustion of a 500 or 1000 km.
In both cases, the spirit remains the same: castles, valleys, forests and cobblestones. The fatigue is gone, the magic intact - and always the pride of having crossed a territory by sheer force of will.
Chateau de Versailles - royalty-free photo
An adventure that links heritage and performance
The Race Across Paris is the meeting of two worlds: that of performance and that of discovery. From the asphalt of Meudon to the cobblestones of Roubaix, from the forests of Chantilly to the cliffs of Normandy, this event tells the story of a territory through every turn. An infinite loop between past and present, endurance and emotion.
Join the Race Across PARIS adventure
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