With just a few weeks to the opening of the Olympic Games, here's an update on the 10km open water swim, known as the Swimming Marathon. It will take place on 8 and 9 August in the river Seine, right by some of Paris's most beautiful monuments.
For the books
Marathon Swimming is actually 10km open water race (sea, river, lake). Open water races, which had been forgotten since the advent of swimming pools, reappeared at the 1991 World Championships. At the time, the event was 25km long! We had to wait until 2001 to see the current 10km format, and 2008 to become an Olympic event in Beijing.
The dates
On 8th and 9th August, the start will be given to the women and men respectively, at 7.30am CET from a floating platform spanning the width of the Seine and dominated by the 107-metre long Alexandre III bridge and its 4 monumental pillars. The event is at the heart of Paris, but also at the heart of the Games, as the site is flanked by the Invalides (archery), the Grand Palais (fencing and taekwondo), the Place de la Concorde (urban sports) and the Eiffel Tower stadium (beach volley).
The course for this marathon is likely to consist of a series of loops, passing under the Pont des Invalides, with the longest loop going as far as the Pont de l'Alma, from where the famous Zouave watches over the waters. For the occasion, the Invalides and Alexandre III bridges will be closed to all traffic, including pedestrians.
So where can you see the race from?
Tickets give access to two different blocks of stands, one on the right bank between the Alexandre III and Invalides bridges (stand A), the other on the left bank between the Invalides and Alma bridges (stand B). Access will be limited for obvious safety and logistical reasons. For access to the quays, please visit: Anticiperlesjeux.
A spectator guide will also be published in the run-up to the Games and sent by email to ticket holders.
How do I get there?
For the right bank, go to Franklin D Roosevelt station (lines 1, 9). For the Left Bank, go to Invalides station (lines 8, 13) or Pont de l'Alma (RER C). In all cases, check the updated information on the website for directions to the competition venues.You can also cycle, provided you find parking for your bike.
Our tip: get familiar with the websites and applications available ahead (IdF Mobilités page Paris 2024If you're not from Paris, the extra challenge will be getting the right ticket. Just so you know, standard tickets purchased in advance will be valid no matter what they say.
Who should you watch?
In terms of athletes, France's Océane Cassignol, Caroline Jouisse, Logan Fontaine and Marc-Antoine Olivier have already qualified. The current stars of the sport are Germany's Leonie Beck and Florian Wellbrock, as well as Hungary's Kristof Rasovszky and the Netherlands' Sharon van Rouwendaal. But who will beat Tunisian Oussama Mellouli's Olympic record of 1h49'55''?
In conclusion
If some people are still reticent to the idea of events in the Seine, let’s remember that it was this project at the heart of Paris and around the Seine that won France the bid.
At the London 2012 Games, the marathon did take place in the Serpentine in Hyde Park. For those who don't know, the water is not particularly inviting, but passed the animal droppings and a whole host of bacteria that can make you ill, the experience is memorable.
What's more, the triathletes have already been able to swim in the Seine during the test event in August 2023. Major works have seen the creation of upstream basins to 'clean up' the Seine, the introduction of measures to combat pollutant discharges and better management of rainwater.
As a legacy of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, from 2025 swimming will be allowed in the Seine. 3 swimming sites will be authorized: Parc des Rives de Seine, Port de Grenelle and Port de Bercy. So let's all be delighted that the Olympic swimming Marathon is being held by the Alexandre III Bridge, one of the capital's most emblematic bridges. Enjoy the Games!