Races in Lyon

Welcome to Lugdunum (it’s not a football player, but indeed the former name of Lyon), which offers a tasty blend of Roman ruins and religious buildings—and not only that! Ready to discover all the treasures of the Rhône Prefecture? Then lace up your sneakers and follow us!

With its semi-continental climate of hot, stormy summers and dry, cold winters, with frequent but light rainfall, Lyon is not only a geographical crossroads but also a sporting crossroads. Between the Saône and the Rhône (the river this time), a stone’s throw from Switzerland 🇨🇭 and the Alps, Lyon offers a variety of terrains to train on while discovering the city’s most beautiful neighborhoods at the same time.

Of course, your adventure begins on the Presqu’île, the city’s nerve center with its little alleys, shops, and many restaurants. Then continue on to see the city classics: Place Bellecour, Place des Cordeliers, Place des Terreaux, Place des Jacobins and, of course, all of Old Lyon. Croix-Rousse, nicknamed “ the Hill that Works ,” may be residential, but there are a few climbs to put those quads to work and some magnificent streets to discover. Strolling (or running) along the riverbanks is a must ! With a bit of luck, you’ll end up at the city’s colorful markets—perfect for stocking up on vitamins 🍌 ! For more elevation, Fourvière, aka “ the Hill that Prays ” because of the basilica overlooking the city, is an excellent spot, just like the Monts d’Or, very popular with trail-running enthusiasts. La Duchère, Lyon’s third hill overlooking the Saône, can also be a great place to gain some height. If you’re looking for flat ground, Parc de la Tête d’Or with its zoo and rose garden, as well as the riverbanks where you can cruise all the way to the Musée des Confluences, are a must-see meeting point for all Lyon locals eager to get some fresh air right in the center. In short, running in Lyon is a real pleasure, especially when you can vary your routes by taking advantage of the traboules—these passageways under buildings that let you move from one street to another and which, linked end to end, form 50 km of underground galleries that were very useful during both world wars, but also in the days of the Canuts to protect the transport of silk. If you want even more space and greenery, you can absolutely head to the Parc de Parilly, the Parc Naturel de la Feyssine, or the Parc Miribel Jonage.

As for races, the calendar is packed with events, each with its own identity, showcasing Lyon from unexpected, authentic, and iconoclastic angles—by day as well as by night : Lyon Urban Trail, LUT by Night, Run in Lyon, SaintéLyon (to take a trip through Loire), the Ultra boucle de la Sarra, Nordicwalkin'Lyon, or the Ekiden de Lyon. It’s also a chance, of course, to see monuments you might have missed, like the Gallo-Roman Theatre of Lyon, the Gare des Brotteaux, or the Hôtel-Dieu.

Stereotypes about the city are often hard to shake, but Lyon really knows how to have fun. After chasing your PRs, you can also chase the festivities : Nuits sonores and the Festival of Lights are world-famous and highlight the city’s heritage!

Finally, a stop in Lyon with a wolf’s appetite would be very incomplete without sitting down at a bouchon to discover the local gastronomy—an emblem of France, notably stemming from the know-how of Paul Bocuse, rightly nicknamed “ the pope of French cuisine ”.

And since Bernard Pivot was born in Lyon, you now know you absolutely have to come!