I'm a competitive athlete visiting the city and cannot afford to take off too many days from training.

Any safe running routes between 9-20 kilometers?

Anywhere I could rent a real road bike (not a touring, cruiser or comfort bike)?

I'll be staying very close to the Ile St Louis - so if you know of anything in the near area, that would be great.

Thank you very much!

Hi, I'm not too familiar with the running routes in Paris, but I can tell you that the marathon took us through the Bois du Boulogne and the Bois du Vincennes, which seemed large enough for a good run. Otherwise you'll end up like me, running round & round in monotonous circles around the Champ de Mars (Eiffel Tower) or the Luxembourg Gardens.

Thanks!

How did you like the Paris marathon? Would you recomend it? I thought about running it last year but did the Big Sur instead.

Yes - I saw the "loopers" around the Jardin du Luxembourg as well!

There are areas alongside the Seine where you can run for miles. They are down below street level alongside the river. There are steps where you can walk down to them, and you'll probably see others running along there. You could probably do 9+ km along there, even if you had to cross a bridge to the other side, and maybe that wouldn't be necessary. There is the path around Luxembourg Gardens, but that's only about a mile. YOu could easily run a long ways on the roads going through Bois du Boulogne -- just go to Porte Maillot and then run down route de Longchamp, etc. I just wouldn't do that later in the day, as I've heard it could be dicey.

There are bike rental places in the city where I imagine you could rent whatever kind of bake that is, but then where would you ride it? Just look in the phone book when you get there, your hotel staff can help.

cagirl, there's another thread on the paris marathon in this forum, I think. But I'll tell ya....I have run in various European marathons now, and NO ONE knows how to put on an even like the Parisians! I'm now curious to see how other French marathons are.

Let me tell you--I was so spoiled by the wonderfulness of everything in the Paris marathon, from the carbo load party to the expo to the relief stations to the crowds.....you get the picture....it spoiled me for other marathons. I came home to Honolulu and did our marathon in December, grumbling the whole 26 miles and on the way home because it paled in comparison to Paris! I've since gotten over it and can weather any other kind of marathon, but Paris was definitely the best, organizational-wise, and the crowds just can't be beat. At each 2 mile mark, they not only give you water, but boxes of juice, sugar cubes, cut bananas, oranges, and figs. A virtual buffet. Best of all, the field is less than 10% female, so you're surrounded by all these fabulous fit men. And all the women spectators cheer you on extra hard (for the sisterhood I guess!).