On April 12, Matthias Kyburz will return to Paris for the third time in his still very short marathon career — and line up for only his fifth marathon overall. This time, he brings more experience, more reference points, and the goal of running faster than he did in 2024.
Why Paris again?
Paris and Matthias Kyburz seem to share a very special connection. It was here, in spring 2024, that he ran his very first marathon and, after just three months of preparation, immediately secured qualification for the Olympic Games with a time of 2:07:44. A few months later, he returned for the Olympic race.
So on April 12, Matthias will once again be on the start line in Paris, for the fifth marathon of his career. But why Paris again? “I like the city in general. Also, racing in France is a home game for my outfitter Salomon. And last but not least, for the first time in my marathon career, I’ll have the opportunity to compare two races directly and draw further conclusions from that,” says Kyburz.
In fact, this time will be very different from his debut two years ago. He has more experience, more miles in his legs, and a preparation phase that started earlier and was more structured than before his first race in the French capital.
The goal: Top 6 and an eye on the European Championships
After setting a marathon PB of 2:06:48 in Seville in February 2025, Matthias knows what he is capable of. His goals for Paris are correspondingly ambitious: faster than the 2:07:44 he ran in 2024, a top-6 finish, and if everything comes together, perhaps even a place on the podium.
As benchmarks, he looks to the fast African runners as well as the strongest European competitors in the field. At the back of his mind, there is already an initial point of comparison ahead of the upcoming European Championships later in the season.
The feeling before the start is different from what it was two years ago: “Back then, I was still asking myself: Can I really do this? What will happen over the last ten kilometres? Maybe I was even a little naive in certain areas, which was not entirely a disadvantage. Today, I have reference points, I know my limits, and I know how far I can push them. That gives me confidence and motivates me at the same time.”
This time, the preparation has been much longer than the barely three months he had before his last Paris start. “Back then, I would have loved to have had a few more weeks of preparation. This time, I’m actually starting to feel glad that it will soon get underway,” he says with a laugh.
The tune-up races: testing, learning, optimising
Payerne and Lisbon – form checks with valuable insights
The competitive build-up began with a 10 km road race in Payerne. Matthias raced in the middle of a hard training week, without tapering, and still set a new personal best of 28:45. It was an early sign that the preparation was paying off.
Shortly afterwards, on 8 March, came the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon, this time as a deliberate stress test. Even before the start, Matthias had decided to latch on to one of the announced pace groups and follow their tempo, although it was already clear in advance that the pace would probably be set a little too high. After ten kilometres, the effect of that became obvious: he passed the 10 km mark in a time that was even 20 seconds faster than the 10 km PB he had just set in Payerne. The second half of the race was therefore around two minutes slower. “I wanted to know what happens when I run a little beyond my limits. That knowledge, too, is an experience that can help me going forward.” With a more controlled race strategy, the finishing time of 1:02:09 could probably have been lowered to 1:01:30.
Kerzerslauf and Berlin – the final two tests
On 21 March, the Kerzerslauf is next on the programme. Since the course includes not only 15 kilometres but also around 200 metres of elevation gain and is run largely on natural roads, the finishing time is of secondary importance. In terms of its character, the demanding profile resembles that of the Paris Marathon and therefore offers the perfect opportunity for race-like training in direct competition with opponents.
A week later, on 29 March, the final preparation race follows with the Berlin Half Marathon. This time, the tactic will once again focus on optimising the finishing time. The goal: to break 1:01:30 for the first time and set a new personal half marathon best (current PB: 1:01:46).
Paris – third time lucky
Two races in Paris, both unforgettable, both formative in their own way. Now comes the third attempt, and this time Matthias brings everything needed: the experience of two previous starts in Paris, a longer preparation than ever before, and the certainty that there is even more in him than 2:07:44.
He knows the course, he knows the city, and he knows what the last ten kilometres feel like. Everything is set. À la table!
If you want, I can also make the whole text read more like a polished English magazine/article piece rather than a close translation.