The Hardest Triathlon in the world.
London to Paris - the hard way
Run 87 miles - Swim the English Channel - Cycle 181 miles
About the challenge
The Enduroman Arch 2 Arc challenge is a journey that connects two of the world's most beautiful cities, London and Paris, by running, swimming and cycling. The clock begins ticking when the athlete sets off from Marble Arch in London and doesn't stop until they reach the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Only 60 athletes have successfully completed the challenge and, of those, seven have finished it without a wetsuit.
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the run: London
87 miles from Marble Arch in London to Dover.
The run route takes challengers through the busy streets of central London and out through the suburbs into Kent. It is not flat; a few hills will test tired legs. Folkestone provides the first glimpse of the sea, but there remains one last climb and some miles to go before reaching Dover. The run finishes at the beachfront by the harbour.
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the swim: english channel
The English Channel is one of the most challenging long-distance swims globally because of the water temperature and tides.
Arch 2 Arc challengers can choose to wear a wetsuit (or not) for this leg. The shortest distance between the English and French coasts is 21 miles, but the tides' effects mean that swim tracks will be longer than this.
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the bike: paris
181 miles from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
The bike ride is the final victory push to Paris. The route follows the rolling coast road from Calais, giving challengers the chance to ride alongside the Channel before turning inland. The route descends into villages and climbs numerous times again before finally flattening just outside Paris. From then, it's a case of traffic, lights and cobblestones until the finish at the Arc de Triomphe.
Watch Paul Robinson take on the A2A with his non-wetsuit record attempt in 2024
Paul @arch2arcjourney Video creator: Victoria Hurst
