La Corrida du Vieux-Port

Between Christmas and New Year, you have two options: eat the rest of the Advent calendar chocolates in your pajamas, or run dressed as a sardine at France's prettiest port.

Looking for a running event in Marseille to finish the year in epic mode instead of couch-chip mode? The Corrida du Vieux-Port is exactly what you need. Organized every year around the end of the year by the SMUC, this festive and charitable gathering in the heart of the city of Marseille donates its profits to the Banque Alimentaire des Bouches-du-Rhône. Running for a good cause with your stomach still full of Christmas cookies—that’s style 😁. Weather-wise, Marseille sits in a tier of its own in December. Expect 10 to 14°C and often clear skies (yes, the city enjoys more than 300 sunny days per year). Pro tip: wear a tech layer under your Santa suit or Mrs. Claus outfit, and you’re set 🎅. Even the Mistral signed up, but that one runs without a bib for 2,600 years 💨.

The Corrida du Vieux-Port is a 5 km flatcourse accessible to all levels, with the Mediterranean as a backdrop and the Frioul Islands in sight. No climbs, not an excuse to skip it. The route is designed to blend performance and pleasure: both racers chasing a time and leisurely sardine-dressed walkers can enjoy it 🐟. The start is in front of the Hôtel de Villein the heart of the city. Runners run along the quays of the Vieux-Port, pass by hundreds of moored boats with the sea as a backdrop, loop back past the La Samaritaine brasserie in a carnival-like vibe 🎡, then head out for a second loop before crossing the finish line to roaring crowds 🏁. The tradition has it that the Corrida du Vieux-Port closes with a group of runners dressed as sardines, because as everyone knows, that’s the sardine that clogged Marseille’s port. A Santa hat is handed to every participant at the start, and costumes are highly encouraged: the more absurd, the more you’ll be adored .

You’ve crossed the finish line, returned the hat, removed the sardine tail. And now? The real adventure begins. Marseille is a city worth exploring with eyes wide open, rewarding those who take time to discover it beyond the Vieux-Port 🎁. Start by climbing up to Notre-Dame de la Garde, the "Good Mother" watching over the city from above ⛪️. The 360° view over the port ⚓️ and coastline is simply breathtaking (. On the way down, wander through the Panier District, Marseille’s oldest neighborhood, with painted facades and local artisans bringing the city to life in a different way. And if your legs still have some spring 🦵, the Calanques await 30 minutes away by road 🛣️. For the foodie in you, don’t leave without trying the true bouillabaisse Marseille specialty: a stepping-stone rite after a run you won’t soon forget. Just like the famous navettes with orange blossom.

This event is the only one where you’ll see Santa sweat while not handing out anything, and where sardines will run like gazelles 🏃.