• 7.3 km
  • 7.3 km
  • Geneva
  • Event dates
  • Open entry

Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km

This race edition

Race date
Date not confirmed for this distance
Race timezone
Timezone not confirmed
Edition status
Status not confirmed

Entry options

2026 edition

Entry options are not yet confirmed for this edition. Check the organiser before making plans.

Modelled energy-cost change 1.4% versus flat · net elevation -4 m

Decision summary

Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km at a glance

Route ascent
91 m

Lower than 88% of comparable mapped races

Typical conditions
75/100

Historical race-date favourability, not a forecast

Evidence depth
36 verified facts

Stored GPS route

Quick answers

What runners ask first

Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km route map

raceindex.org has a GPS course file for Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km, so runners can inspect the route line on the map. Elevation charts and ascent figures appear only when that file includes usable elevation data.

How hilly is the Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km?

The Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km route has 91 m of ascent, 96 m of descent and an estimated 1.4% grade-adjusted pace penalty versus a flat route.

Where does the Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km route go?

The Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km route starts at Rue de la Croix-Rouge, Vieille-Ville (Old Town), Geneva and finishes at Parc des Bastions (Promenade des Bastions), Geneva. Underfoot, expect cobblestones (pavés) through the Old Town with steep climbs and descents. It passes Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Place du Bourg-de-Four, Old Town ramparts, Vieille-Ville (Old Town) and Parc des Bastions. tens of thousands of spectators line the route.

What should runners know on race day for the Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km?

Run on fully closed streets through the narrow, cobbled lanes of the Old Town.

Race character

Scenery

  • Historic
  • City
  • Desert
  • Parkland

Atmosphere

  • Festival
  • Community
  • Competitive

Terrain

  • Road
  • Beach
Elevation character
Rolling
Technicality
Moderate

Entry, logistics and records

Records and field

Men's course record
20:24 (Dominic Lobalu)
Field size
One of the largest foot races in Switzerland and among the biggest in Europe, drawing roughly 45,000–50,000 participants across all categories each year.

Entry requirements

Entry status
Open entry: The held registration model is open entry and this edition is not marked sold out.
Qualification status
The 3 Loop course includes the Escaladélite, an elite/competitive ranked race for high Level international, national and regional athletes; the FlexiMix variant is non Competitive (no ranking).

Race day logistics

Closed roads
Run on fully closed streets through the narrow, cobbled lanes of the Old Town.

Access and course status

Start
Rue de la Croix-Rouge, Vieille-Ville (Old Town), Geneva
Finish
Parc des Bastions (Promenade des Bastions), Geneva

Course facts

Course type
Laps
Surface
Cobblestones (pavés) through the Old Town with steep climbs and descents.
Landmarks
Cathédrale Saint-Pierre, Place du Bourg-de-Four, Old Town ramparts, Vieille-Ville (Old Town), Parc des Bastions
Notable features
  • Festive winter event tied to Escalade tradition: costumed runners, squash-soup (soupe à la courge) distribution and the ceremonial breaking of the chocolate marmite
  • tens of thousands of spectators line the route
  • La Marmite is a non-ranked costume race (created 1991) of about 3.6 km where participants of all categories run together in fancy dress
  • A looped circuit through the medieval Old Town on cobbles, climbing past the Saint-Pierre Cathedral and the Place du Bourg-de-Four before finishing in the Parc des Bastions
  • runners choose 1, 2 or 3 laps (FlexiMix) or run the fixed 2-loop (women's tradition) or 3-loop (men's tradition / Escaladélite) races

How hilly is the Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km?

7%14%59%14%
  • Steep descent 7%
  • Descent 14%
  • Flat 59%
  • Climb 14%
  • Steep climb 6%
Total ascent
91 m
Net elevation
−4 m
GAP factor
1.4%
Longest climb
510 m at 3.2%
Gradient mix and ascent are derived from the course geometry under our published normalisation, not taken from organiser marketing.

What are typical race-day conditions?

  • 4°CTypical temperature
  • 11 kphTypical wind
  • 5 mmTypical rainfall
  • 75Favourability /100
Typical conditions for the race date and locality, cooler than the endurance-optimal window. These are climatological norms, not a forecast, and are shared across every distance at this event.

More race details

Is the Course de l'Escalade (Genève) 7.3 km flat?

Its normalised GAP factor is 1.4% slower than a flat course, with about 91 m of total ascent.