The Triporteur Race Returns to Paris on 20 September 2026: A Free 28.4km Spectacle

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The Triporteur Race Returns to Paris on 20 September 2026: A Free 28.4km Spectacle with a Century of History

Event info: Date: Sunday 20 September 2026 at 2pm | Where: Cours de Vincennes, 75012 Paris 12 | Price: free | Age: all ages

Among the quirky events to charm you this autumn 2026, the standout is the Course des triporteurs (triporteur/cargo-bike race), which returns to the Cours de Vincennes, straddling Paris's 12th and 20th arrondissements, on Sunday 20 September 2026 at 2pm. For its 3rd edition, the association again brings together these pre-war delivery bikes on an urban circuit, with the distance climbing to 28.4km and free participation.

What does the 2026 Paris Triporteur Race involve?

The principle stays the same: triporteurs, a city course and no motor to help the riders. Electric-assist vehicles remain allowed, provided the battery is left at home (it goes into storage on the day).

What changes is the distance. According to the 2026 route published by the organisers, it rises from 21km in the previous edition to 28.4km this year. The long-term ambition is to get back to the 40km lap of Paris run in the 1930s, stepping up a notch with each edition.

The organisers also promise a giant screen to display times live and track positions during the event. They hope to line up around thirty competitors at the start, up from 24 in 2025.

Motorless triporteurs: what are the rules?

The rules boil down to a few points to know before lining up at the start:

• One rear wheel, two front wheels and a box at least 50cm wide between the front wheels (exemptions possible by contacting the association).

• Electric triporteurs compete alongside muscle-powered models, but the battery must be removed and put into storage.

• One rider per triporteur and one triporteur per rider.

• Helmet mandatory.

What is the route of the 2026 Paris Triporteur Race?

The course plays out in the very centre, on a short loop to be repeated several times around the Cours de Vincennes. Here is the circuit published by the association:

• Start at 2pm: bus lane on the Cours de Vincennes, at the corner of the Boulevard de Charonne.

• Turn right onto the Boulevard de Charonne.

• Turn right onto the Rue de la Plaine.

• Turn right onto the Rue Mounet-Sully.

• Turn right onto the Rue des Pyrénées.

• Turn right to return to the bus lane on the Cours de Vincennes.

• A 1.42km loop, repeated until the 28.4km of the 2026 edition is covered (around twenty laps).

Where does the Triporteur Race come from, 1900 to 1943?

In the first half of the 20th century, the triporteur was the working tool of thousands of Parisian delivery riders: bakers, butchers, grocers and couriers. Once a year, they battled it out on their own service machines through the streets of the capital, sometimes before a considerable crowd.

The event ran from about 1900 to 1943, before disappearing with the war and the motorisation of deliveries. The reference record dates back to 1943, at an average of 34.3km/h, set by Altazin. To equal it over the 28.4km of 2026, you would need to complete the course in 49 minutes and 41 seconds — enough to motivate the fastest riders.

The winner takes home the Trophée Marcel Cognasson, named after the dominant figure of the interwar years (seven victories between 1926 and 1935). His family is involved in the revival, a lovely thread running between eras. It is also a little-known chapter of Paris history that is rediscovered on this occasion.

How to take part in the 2026 Triporteur Race?

Participation is free. You just need your own triporteur; the association offers a classifieds section on its website to buy or rent one. Curious onlookers without a three-wheeler can fall back on the Cyclo-parade, open to all bikes of all eras, which follows the race.

So see you on Sunday 20 September 2026 at the Cours de Vincennes for a 2pm start over 28.4km. The final route, the rules and the entry form can be found on the event's official website.