Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to analyse the endometrial cancer (EC) patterns of recurrence based on a large French multicentre database according to ESMO-ESGO-ESTRO classification. Methods Data of women with histologically proven EC who received primary surgical treatment between January 2001 and December 2012 were retrospectively abstracted from seven institutions with prospectively maintained databases. The endpoints were recurrence, recurrence free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Time to the first EC recurrence in a specific site was evaluated by using cumulative incidence analysis (Gray's test). Results Data from 829 women were analysed in whom recurrences were observed in 176 (21%) with a median and mean time to recurrence of 13 and 19.5 months, respectively. High (35%) and high-intermediate risk groups (16%) were associated with higher recurrence rates compared with low (9%) and intermediate (9%) risk patients ( p < 0.0001). Women with high risk EC had a higher 5-year cumulative incidence of distant recurrence (20.7%) than women with high-intermediate, intermediate and low risk EC (5.6%, 3.5%, 3.3%), ( p < 0.001), respectively. Women with high risk and high-intermediate risk EC had a higher 5-year cumulative incidence of loco-regional recurrence (24.3% and 16.6%, respectively) than women with intermediate and low risk EC (6.6% and 6.5%, respectively), ( p < 0.001). Conclusions We report specific time and site patterns of first recurrence according to the ESMO/ESGO/ESTRO classification. Sites and hazard rates for recurrence differ widely between subgroups over time. Defining patterns of EC recurrence may provide useful information for developing follow-up recommendations and designing therapeutic approaches.