Organization of the 1st Calais XXL Marathon in 2026
This is BIG news! The first Calais XXL Marathonwill take place on June 28, 2026! This event is the result of a strong alliance between Calais XXL et North Coast, who combine their expertise: event management for one, territorial marketing for the other, around a common goal: to make Calais, its coastline and its heritage shine in line with its ambitions.
A unifying event
Never before in its history has the city of the Six Burghers hosted a marathon, the queen of races for long-distance runners. Conceived as a popular and accessible event, it appeals to all types of runners by combining marathon, Half marathon et 10 km. This inclusive format allows us to reach a very wide audience, from seasoned runners to more casual joggers, including local clubs and businesses. This open model ensures the project's long-term viability and unites sports associations, businesses, institutional partners, and tourism stakeholders around it, in a spirit of openness and collaborative development.
At Calais XXL, we don't do anything halfway. We're doing it together, on a large scale, with the same goal. : to showcase and allow people to experience an XXL territory.
Details of the Calais XXL Marathon
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Jean-Philippe Javello
“Sports and tourism events have grown significantly over the last fifteen to twenty years. Today, for iconic events like the Paris, New York, or Barcelona marathons, or ultra-trails such as the Mont Blanc or the Diagonale des Fous, travel agencies often offer hotel and transportation packages. When the Nord Littoral Group approached us with this idea of a marathon in Calais, we were immediately enthusiastic. It's an opportunity to bring a lot of people to Calais for a weekend and boost business for the city's and surrounding area's restaurants, bars, and hotels. Plus, they'll be able to enjoy the festivities organized by the city of Calais this summer.”
Run big, shine far
A marathon, a half-marathon, a 10K: three formats, one shared desire to showcase the beauty and strength of Calais XXL. The idea for this marathon arose from a grassroots movement: the urban trails organized in recent years by the Nord Littoral group generated a strong demand for a full-fledged sporting event, one capable of lasting success. Calais XXL responds to this demand with ambition! The date of June 28th fits into a coherent regional strategy: between the Marathon de la Mer (May) and the Trail de la Côte d'Opale (September), Calais XXL finds its place, its season, its own identity. This event draws on local resources – technical, human, and natural – to build a solid, accessible event, driven by genuine local roots. Every runner, every volunteer, every spectator becomes an ambassador for the region. And that is precisely the essence of Calais XXL: making the collective a powerful force for positive influence.
Register now!
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Stephane Ribeiro Da Ascencao
Calais XXL will begin its third tourist season in 2026. Like the collective project that enabled the momentum of attractiveness and development of Calais XXL, the territory is moving forward and growing even more! In 2024, We celebrated the brand transition with the overhaul of the entire tourism ecosystem under these values deeply rooted in the territory. In 2025, a regional magazine: 'Wide Shot' distributed in 25,000 copies and an ambitious program of guided tours have put the spotlight on our 14 municipalities. And finally in 2026, What better way to discover the region than three races? The marathon format is the perfect sporting expression of our signature style: Journeys and detours between lands & seas'.
Routes and detours
A promise that is increasingly embedded in the projects
The Marathon route also tells a story that illustrates the reason for Calais XXL's existence since its launch 2 years ago: “Routes and detours between lands & seas’. Running here means immersing yourself in a territory where sea and nature, heritage and modernity intertwine. It means appreciating the vastness of the coastline, the beauty of the heritage, and the diversity of the landscapes. This marathon is a major tourism driver: it attracts visitors, generates economic benefits, creates notoriety and proudly promotes the values of the territory: sharing, pushing boundaries, greatness.
(Re)discover the values of Calais XXL
A marathon to share
This event is organized by the group North Coast, already behind the Calais Urban Trail and the Urban Trails of Ardres, Coquelles, Hardelot, Dunkirk and Bray-Dunes, among others. It is also and above all the result of a collaborative work between multiple actors : communities, businesses and the sporting world as le Calais Olympic Stadium Athletics, the running specialist Strides, Pas-de-Calais, Carrefour Market Calais Cœur de Vie et Calais XXL, main partner.
Ahmed Kara
This marathon is a natural extension of the various urban trails organized by Nord Littoral. Each year, more and more of our participants ask us not to time our urban trails, which are primarily festive events, but to launch a proper race in the region. Furthermore, the running community is eager for an event of this kind in the Calais area. The goal is to establish the Calais XXL Marathon as a showcase for our fantastic region. Even when you regularly explore the area, you don't always realize how lucky you are to live in such a beautiful environment. It's something we should share!
The Calais XXL marathon offers a course winding between iconic landmarks and the seafront, with 3,000 runners expected. This number rises to 6,000 when including the half-marathon and 10km races. The detailed route will be unveiled next April!
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Stephane Ribeiro Da Ascencao
Marketing & Communications Director, Calais XXL
+33 (0)6 42 92 42 35 — sribeiro@calaisxxl.com
Ahmed Kara
Marketing & Events Director, Groupe Nord Littoral
ahmed.kara@nordlittoral.fr