Essec Night Run 2026
See more about the offers- Next event : Fri, February 13, 2026Date confirmed
- Last event : Fri, February 7, 2025
The event in a few words
Are you going through your midlife crisis and wanted to return to the lecture halls? 👨🏫 Great, we can sneak you in! You're in the right place to reconnect with your past as a party-loving student 🤪, sporty and motivated. This year, it's the ESSEC Business School inviting you to reconnect with your twenties - or enjoy your twenties - through two road races night runs in the streets and on the island of Cergy, in the Val-d'Oise department, in the Île-de-France region, near Paris 🇫🇷. But don't worry, the organizers did not plan any surprise quizzes; you don't even need to study! 😮💨 Besides, athletically, a little training will suffice as two short distances are offered: a 9 km and a 16 km. So bring your backpack 🎒 and your university t-shirt 👕, and take the start of the ESSEC Night Run!
Here's a good race to get back into shape after the holidays and before the exams 🖌. The students here will be even more delighted to learn that the race takes place on a Friday night and that you will have the whole weekend available (to study or to go out, it's up to you; no judgment)... ➡ At Finishers, we like to celebrate races too! 🍻😜 The second point that'll please many: student rates have been put in place by the school to combat youth poverty. So, if you're enrolled at ESSEC (all campuses combined), you can participate and enjoy these little discounts 😁.
The campus will only be your starting point though 📍. So relax, we're not asking you to spend the night at school! 🏫 No, no, the night, you'll spend under the stars ⭐, armed with your headlamp 🔦, in the streets of the beautiful Cergy. Beautiful, indeed! Even in the dark, you will see how pleasant it is to stroll 🚶 between its ponds, its islands 🏝, and cross all its bridges 🏃♂️. The 9 km route is so beautiful and accessible that it's even suitable for para-athletes! 👨🦽 You can come with your equipment and roll along with your classmates, beating them decisively in a competition that promises to be as beautiful as it is fierce 🔥.
Fighting and giving it your all is great, but you also need to unwind and have fun! 🍻 That's why once the race is over, after your eyes and muscles have been fully engaged, you can relax with the proposed activities 🥳. For ESSEC Business School, there's only one philosophy: a sound mind in a sound body! And... a little fun! 😉
4 reasons to join this race
Message from the organizer:
"Headlamp is mandatory to participate in the race. Participants will be welcomed from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM with a race briefing at 7:30 PM. Details about bib collection will be announced shortly! Bibs can be picked up on the day of the race at ESSEC (time to be confirmed). The 16 km race will start at 8:00 PM and the 9 km race at 8:30 PM from the ESSEC forecourt. Awards ceremony at 10:00 PM, and the start/finish village will feature entertainment and many prizes to be won with other ESSEC associations."
A distance for every taste
16 kmTOP
9 km
- Friday, February 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- 1 loopx16 km
A few more words
Here you are on the forecourt of the ESSEC, ready to hit the road 🛞. But even if the asphalt will indeed be your support, know that you will see the natural spaces of the city. You will pass the port Cergy by the Pont du quai de la Tourelle before heading onto the strips of land bordering the lakes of the city ⛵. Well... you will only see a part of it because it will be completely dark! You will then head towards the city before returning to the start/finish line via the Pont Cornudet 🚩.
Trail 9 km
Trail- Friday, February 13, 2026 at 8:00 PM
- Elevation gain : 40mD+
- 1 loopx9 km
A few more words
Just like for the 16 km, you will start the race from the forecourt of the ESSEC. But you're not here to return to lecture halls! 🎓 No, here, the beginning of the 9 km challenge awaits you through the city of Cergy. You will pass the Bridge at the Quai de la Tourelle to head to the island and zigzag between the ponds 💦. Then, we turn around to return to the starting line via the Pont Cornudet.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Race bibs can be collected in the two days leading up to the race. Exact details will be provided later. You can pick up your bib until 30 minutes before the race starts at 8 PM. After this time, bib collection will no longer be possible.
The races will kick off on Friday, February 13, 2026, in front of the ESSEC campus. The 16 km race starts at 8 PM, and the 9 km race begins at 8:30 PM.
You will have a maximum of 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete the course.
Yes, to participate, you need to provide either a valid FFA sports license on the event date or a valid Health Prevention Form (PPS) completed online within three months before the competition.
A headlamp is mandatory to participate in the races, as they take place at night.
There will be a refreshment station at the 7 km mark on the 16 km course.
For the 9 km race:
Student*: €9
Standard: €13
For the 16 km race:
Student*: €12
Standard: €16
*Student rates require a valid student ID
Participants must be at least 16 years old on the race day (born before or on 12/31/2010) and a parental consent form must be attached to the online registration form.
6:30 PM to 7:30 PM: Competitor check-in
7:30 PM: Race briefing
8:00 PM: Start of the 16 km race at ESSEC campus
8:30 PM: Start of the 9 km race at ESSEC campus
10:00 PM: Award ceremony
Dress warmly as the average temperature in Cergy in February is about 5°C (41°F).
You can reach out to them via email: raidessec2013@gmail.com
You can check the race rules here
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