Paris Marathon: Mile 20

Cutting away from the river, the course trails towards another large park

Back into the rural heart of Paris, it’s time for the one and only sports drink station in the marathon. With just 10km left, topping up sugar levels for the final push should help spur you on for the remainder of the race. You might expect some passing support from locals, but the next time you see a big crowd is probably going to be on the approach to the finish line.

There is some real potential for this road to be a wind tunnel...

There is only one station in the Paris Marathon where energy drinks are handed out, and this is it. If you’re going to hit the wall, it’s typically somewhere around the 18–20 mile mark, so a boost of carbohydrate will do you some good.

If it’s being handed out in bottles (since the drink of choice is Powerade, I would imagine it will be), it’s worth sipping little and often and carrying the extra burden of the drink with you rather than chucking it away seconds after picking it up.

Whatever you do, don’t wolf it down. No one likes bright blue sick on the course.