The Paris-Versailles Race (''Course Paris-Versailles'', also known as ''La Grande Classique'') is a pedestrian race that takes place between Paris and Versailles in France, every year on the last Sunday morning of September. Organized by Paris-Versailles Association, it takes place on a course of 16 km, from the foot of the Eiffel Tower to the Palace of Versailles, via Issy-les-Moulineaux, Meudon, Chaville, Vélizy-Villacoublay, Viroflay and Meudon. The 40th anniversary race took place on 24 September 2017 More than 22,000 runners participated in the race, whose winners were Ethiopian runners Getinet Gedamu and Chaltu-Dida Negasa.

Course Details

The race is noted for its unusual and demanding course through seven communities from the Eiffel Tower to the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 19 ...

, running uphill for most of its length and finishing more than 100 meters higher than the start."Seeing France on the run: The Paris-Versailles La Grande Classique is a mostly uphill race that takes runners from the Eiffel Tower to the Palace of Versailles"
'' The Straits Times'', 21 February 2016. After 6 km very flat along the

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, the route takes the famous coast of the Gardes. This section has a slope of up to 9% and is over 2km long making it the most difficult part of the race. The last 2 km are also feared because they run on the Avenue de Paris, a very wide double track (and therefore generally windy) in false flat which is often described as endless. Race Breakdown: *Departure from Eiffel Tower, * Issy-les-Moulineaux, by the banks of the Seine, * Meudon, with the Côte des Gardes and its forest route, * Chaville, at the bottom of the descent of the funds of the chapel, * Velizy and Viroflay, a long straight hilly section with undergrowth, *Arrival at the Palace of Versailles.

References

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External links

Paris-Versailles, official website
Road running competitions Annual sporting events in France