I shaved 5 seconds off my 10k PB in Bourg en Bresse this weekend, coming through in 34:19. I’ve recapped the race for other runners eying early season races in pursuit of a PB or as a tune up for a bigger race.

The Bourg en Bresse 10km and Semi-Marathon offer great tune up race options for those racing April or May marathons, and they added a 5k race this year as well. Collectively, the three races attracted over 2900 runners in 2025. I’ve raced five French 10k’s in the last two years—in Lyon, Dijon, Cluses, and Aix-les-Bains—while tuning up for marathons and half marathons. These are great, affordable events that bring out the whole community. Read on to see how the Bourg en Bresse 10k stacks up.

Location, Timing, and weather

Bourg en Bresse is in central France, just a 1h20 TGV train from Geneva, a 1-hour train from Lyon, or a 2-hour train from Paris. Taking place in early March with a 9h00 start, you can rest assured you won’t be dealing with hot temperatures in this race.

The 2025 edition (their 25th timing organizing the 10k) gave us great conditions – sunny, little wind, and cold temperatures around 2C / 35F at the start. Last year’s race looked quite wet, which is a risk with any race in France this time of year. With lots of twists and turns, the course’s footing would surely be quite tricky given wet conditions.

Race course

A classic urban course, the race takes runners on a twisty tour of Bourg en Bresse, starting and finishing at the Covered Market and winding through the old town past many historic buildings. The course is pretty flat (+26m gain), with a little accent in the first 2km, a gentle descent from 4 to 7km, and two short but notable climbs at 7.5km and 8km.

With thirty 90-degree turns, two 180-degree point turns, and speed bumps galore, the route keeps runners on their toes. Given how many fast runners were packed into these tight streets (forcing us repeatedly on and off the curbs), I was a bit surprised not to see more turned ankles. It’s a good race to run on RPE and largely ignore your watch, lest you get cut off or tripped up suddenly while checking your pace or heart rate. The course is nevertheless pretty fast, as evidenced by 112 runners breaking 35 minutes in the 2025 10k and 110 runners breaking 1:20 for the half marathon.

Race structure and options

Part of what makes the race so crowded is that they start the 10k and half marathon at the same time. On the bright side, this gives you lots of other runners to race with (more so than the Lyon, Dijon, and Cluses races) and that goes for both 10k and HM runners. On the down side, the first 4km are very congested, especially the first 800m.

In 2025, the organizers offered a 5k race as well for the first time, fortunately starting two hours later. So, with three races, Bourg en Bresse now offers a nice range of options for different runners.

Is Bourg en Bresse worth a visit?

Beyond being known for its chicken, the city of Bourg en Bresse has been an important trade center since the 11th century. The old town, while certainly sleepy on a Sunday morning with most shops and restaurants closed, offers charming alleys, ancient churches, sunny plazas, and a few beautiful half-timbered medieval buildings still standing after 500+ years. 

Logistical things to note for runners

A few notes for any runners traveling to Bourg en Bresse for future editions of these races.

– You can pickup your bib on the morning of the race, from 7h00. This was not the case last year for Run in Lyon and makes it possible for traveling runners to come to Bourg en Bresse for this race on a day trip.

– There’s plenty of parking near the race start but lots of roads are closed so plan ahead about where you’ll park.

– Unfortunately, there’s no bag drop, so that complicates matters a bit if you’re traveling in for this race. I found this a little odd because they have plenty of safe space in the Covered Market and plenty of volunteers…

– They charge €1 for safety pins, so bring your own.

Final thoughts on the 10k Bourg en Bresse

I’m glad I got up to Bourg en Bresse for this race and was pleased to walk away with a 10k PB at age 38. Who says you can’t still get better with age?

Overall:  4 – On the whole this is a worthwhile race to do if it aligns with your schedule

Vibe: 3.5 – Not much crowd out cheering. Lots of runners, though. Nice folks all around.

Swag: 1 – Got an apple, Powerade, and granola bar at the finish. They planned to give medals but their supplier botched the delivery.

Course: 3.5 – Pretty flat, a nice mix of scenery. Just a LOT of tight turns given how crowded it was. Deduction for two point u-turns.

Competition: 4 – For amateurs, this was really competitive! 112 runners under 35 min. Not quite as competitive as the Payerne 10k, which takes place the week before, but surely one of the more competitive spring 10k races in France.

Crowd: 3 – Handful of folks cheering throughout the course.

Value: 4 – €16 registration for non-licensed athletes, about par for this kind of race in France (and 50-60% cheaper than similar races in Switzerland)

[Photo credit: Ville de Bourg en Bresse, more event photos here]