The Paris Marathon is transitioning from a traditional first-come, first-served model to a large lottery, signaling a major shift in how runners gain entry and potentially reshaping the event's pricing structure.

The lottery is pitched as a democratizing move to manage high demand by moving away from urgency-based sign-ups toward a more inclusive selection process.

Organizers and observers are weighing the merits and drawbacks of the lottery for accessibility and fairness, and are inviting public opinion on the change.

The change will be paired with a single higher registration fee, likely over 150 euros, with a reduced rate only for RSA beneficiaries, eliminating previous multiple pricing waves.

The discussion centers on how the lottery affects inclusivity, affordability, and the perceived legitimacy of gaining entry to one of the world’s most popular road races.

Starting in 2027, the Paris Marathon aims to replace the current system with a lottery, a model already used by major races like Berlin, New York, and London.