Nice–Cannes Marathon 2026: tracking, the Cap d'Antibes loop and the finish on the Croisette

The Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice–Cannes runs on Sunday 8 November 2026. The first wave leaves at 8:00 from the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, opposite the Théâtre de Verdure (official marathon page, weekend programme). From there it's one way along the coast: through Antibes, round the Cap d'Antibes and on to the Croisette in Cannes. If you have a runner in it, this guide explains how to see where they are at any moment, how to catch them more than once with the coastal train, and where your voice will do them the most good.

Independence notice: Cheerlify is an independent service. It is not affiliated with the organisers of the Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice–Cannes (Azur Sport Organisation) or their sponsors, and it is not the event's official application.

The race at a glance

Which wave your runner is in depends on their target time: 8:00 up to 3:15, 8:25 for 3:30–3:45, 8:50 for 4:00–4:15, 9:15 for 4:30 and slower (runner guide). Waves are new this year, and one answer in the FAQ still says every race starts at 8:00. Go by the wave on your runner's bib and check the FAQ again in race week.

1. Official tracking: the live page and the chip

The chip is a strip stuck to the back of the bib, and it's read at checkpoints along the course. According to the FAQ, a live tracking page with a 5-minute delay goes up on the marathon06.com home page on race day, and results are online from 16:00 (FAQ, results). Last year the live page ran on the timing company's own site, timing4you (2025 live page), with marathon splits at km 10, 12, 21, 30 and 40. The 2026 checkpoints haven't been published yet.

The site still links to a "Marathon Nice Cannes" app, but both store links returned "not found" on 17 October and again on 20 October 2026. Bookmark the live page instead.

• The chip reading is what becomes the official split and finish time, so for exact numbers it's the source to trust.
• After km 12 the 2025 readings were nine or ten kilometres apart. That's 45 to 70 minutes without news, plus the 5-minute delay.
• Between two readings the page just shows the last one. It can't tell you when your runner will reach the station where you're standing. More on that in chip timing vs GPS tracking.

2. Live GPS on the map, between the readings

For a dot that moves you need GPS tracking from the runner's own phone: Strava Beacon, Garmin LiveTrack, plain location sharing or Cheerlify. We compared them in marathon tracking apps compared. Cheerlify puts the dot on the course line, shows the kilometre they're on and estimates when they'll reach any point you pick. Between Nice and Cannes that's the number you plan the trains around: it tells you whether there's still time to get to Juan-les-Pins or whether you should head straight for Cannes.

Tip: keep the live page and the GPS dot open side by side. The page gives you the official splits; the dot covers the long gaps, like the nine kilometres round the Cap between the readings at km 21 and km 30 last year.

The course, stage by stage

From the organisers' course map and GPX file and the runner guide. We measured the kilometres on the official GPX, which comes out a little over 42.195 km, so treat them as approximate:

The organisers put the total climb at 100 m, so the profile is gentle. The Cap is the part to think about. After the noise of Antibes come six kilometres of pines, villa walls and short rises, from km 24 to 30, with far fewer people watching, and that's about when most runners start to feel the distance.

Where to watch

The railway hugs the coast the whole way, with 12 stations between Nice and Cannes (train information). Plan around the timetable and you can follow the race in person.

• The start in Nice. Spectators can get into the start area after a security check (FAQ). Nice Ville station is about 1.5 km away on foot.
• Antibes (about km 21–23). The station is a few minutes' walk from the course near Port Vauban.
• Juan-les-Pins (about km 32). The station is right by the course. The organisers specifically ask supporters to get off here and not at Villeneuve-Loubet, a small station they keep for relay runners and the 20 km field.
• The assistance zones at km 10 (Cros-de-Cagnes), km 20 (Pont de la Brague) and km 35 (Golfe-Juan). Each is a signed stretch of about 50 m before the official aid station, where supporters may hand their runner food and drink (runner guide).
• The finish in Cannes. Cannes station is a short walk from the Croisette. Past the finish line there's a meeting area where you wait under the first letter of your runner's surname.

Twice is realistic. A third sighting depends on the trains. Two plans that work:

1. Start, then finish. See their wave leave in Nice, walk to Nice Ville and take a train to Cannes (about 40 minutes). If the arrival estimate leaves room, hop off at Juan-les-Pins on the way.
2. Antibes, Juan-les-Pins, Cannes. Skip the start. Catch them in Antibes around halfway, then go one stop (or walk about 2 km) to Juan-les-Pins while they run the Cap loop, and see them again at about km 32. Cannes is about ten minutes further on.

Trains run several times an hour that morning, with extra services for the marathon. A runner's bib works as their train ticket all day. Supporters can buy a "Pass Accompagnant Marathon" for €8, valid all day on every ZOU! train between Nice and Cannes, online, at the stations along the route or at the ZOU! stand at the Expo (trains and shuttles). Expect full trains, no bikes on board and a queue at Cannes station after the race.

If you're following from home, the GPS dot and the cheers work just as they do on the Croisette.

Weather and clocks

Early November on the Riviera is usually mild, though it can be wet and windy by the sea. Bring an extra layer for standing on platforms and look at the forecast on Saturday. Nice is on Central European Time (UTC+1): an 8:00 start is 7:00 in London, Dublin and Lisbon, and 9:00 in Helsinki.

Be in their ears on the Cap d'Antibes

Around km 24 your runner leaves Antibes and its crowds behind. The road winds round the Cap between pines and high walls, up and down a few short rises, with hardly anyone watching and more than 15 kilometres still to go.

With Cheerlify you can send a voice or video cheer while they're running, and it plays in their earbuds straight away. You can also record one ahead of time and pick the kilometre where it should play. The music drops, they hear you, then the music is back. Three good places for one:

• km 27, among the pines on the Cap: "Nobody's watching here except me. Keep the rhythm, the sea is on your side."
• km 36, on the rise after Golfe-Juan: "Last climb. After this it's Cannes."
• km 41, on the Croisette, with about a kilometre left: the line you'd shout if you were at the barrier.

For safety the organisers recommend running with one earbud only, and the rules tolerate music only as long as runners can still hear what's around them (FAQ, rules). That suits a cheer fine: one earbud or open-ear headphones carry it clearly.

For the runner: in the Cheerlify app, pick Marathon des Alpes-Maritimes Nice–Cannes from the race catalog. The official course is already loaded, so you don't need a GPX file. Share the link and the code with your supporters.

Supporters open the link in a browser and enter the code. Nothing to install, no account. If several of you are following, each can send a cheer, live or set for a different kilometre. Stuck for words? We collected 30+ cheering lines for every stage of a race.

Race-week checklist for supporters

1. Your runner's bib number and wave saved (8:00, 8:25, 8:50 or 9:15), and the live page on marathon06.com bookmarked.
2. Your runner's GPS tracking link in hand, tested together before Sunday.
3. Their phone fully charged at the start, battery saver off, location permission set to "Always".
4. No cups on the course in 2026, so your runner needs a soft flask or a foldable cup. If you want to hand them something, do it in the assistance zones at km 10, 20 or 35.
5. Cheers ready: at least one set for the Cap (km 24–30) and one for the finish, plus your phone at hand to send one live.
6. If you're on the coast: train pass bought, stations chosen (Nice and Cannes, or Antibes, Juan-les-Pins and Cannes), and the meeting letter agreed for after the finish.

Frequently asked questions