Paris Texas Marathon: September 19-20 at Love Civic Center

About the race

Organized by Blaze Trails Running, the event was long known as the "Paris Pair" and has grown into a full-distance festival on the Northeast Texas Trail, a rails-to-trails course that is famously flat and fast. Race distances span 100K, 50K, a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, and 5K, with evening PM versions of the marathon, half, and 5K so runners can double up for a "Pair" combo, completing a morning and an evening race in the same weekend.

The start-finish anchors at Love Civic Center near the courtyard of the Eiffel Tower replica, putting packet pickup, parking, and post-race gathering in one place. Racers pushing the longest distances should note the 2:00 AM cutoff that applies to the 100K and to all PM races, per the published race rules.

What it brings to Paris

Race weekends pull athletes, crews, and families from across the region who fill hotels and eat out across the city, making marathons a reliable boost to the local visitor economy. For investors, recurring event weekends like this are evidence of the active tourism and hospitality base that supports commercial property around the civic center and the corridor.

Volunteers and spectators are welcome along the trail, and the Saturday farmers and artisan market downtown gives visitors and crews a natural stop later that morning while results settle in.