Due to various circumstances, I hadn’t had the chance to run in Lisbon since 2021. This year wasn’t looking likely either, until a last-minute work trip provided the opportunity to fit the marathon into a weekend that was already quite hectic with other matters.
It was also my first time experiencing the new schedule: changing from mid-October on a Sunday to the end of the month on a Saturday. From what I read, this was part of a strategic partnership with the London Marathon to increase participant numbers. In fact, the marathon is now held on Saturday, while the half-marathon and 10k take place on Sunday, clearly separating the events.
I travel to Portugal on Wednesday afternoon after squeezing in a short morning training session, which ultimately serves as the only bridge between the Ciudad Real and Lisbon marathons.
I visit the runner’s expo on Thursday—quite unusual for me, used to arriving at the very last minute. This time it is at the Lisbon Exhibition and Congress Centre (FIL), a massive venue with many stands. There, I realized the international draw of this race, with very few Portuguese runners in sight. I don’t take long to pick up my gear and move on to other errands.
Trying to get as much sleep as possible the night before, I take an Uber early Saturday morning to reach Cais do Sodré, attempting to avoid public transport delays at an hour when the metro isn’t running yet. When I arrive there is already a lot of runners and I take one of the trains provided by the organization to reach the starting line. Here lies another difference from previous editions: the traditional start in Cascais, which had long since become too small for the number of runners gathering there, has been changed. Now, the start is in the Carcavelos area—a much wider space and just a short walk from the station.
At the gear-check trucks, with time to spare, I run into Luis De Sequera, also there with identical purpose.
With very humid weather and a perceived temperature of 24°C as early as 8:00 AM, the day promises to be tough. We begin the race on a route that first take us toward the Cascais area, largely following the coastline. From there, the course turns back, keeping the Tagus River on our right as we head toward the Praça do Comércio in the heart of Lisbon.
Maintaining a very relaxed pace, I reach the 10km mark in just under 1 hour. My legs still cannot find their pace as the race carries on, reaching the half-marathon mark at 2:05:00. I haven’t managed to recover from this month’s slow streak, and to top it off, the knee wound I got during the Castillo Marathon over a month ago has opened up again.
With no time goals left in mind, I try to enjoy the scenery. Although it feels tough for me, I still manage to overtake quite a few positions from Belém and the 25 de Abril Bridge. The 4-hours finds me still at kilometer 39.
In the end, I close my Lisbon participation with a time of 4:20:39, placing 5,511th out of 9,566 finishers.
A high-end marathon where the organization and the route provide everything a marathoner could look for.
With this, I close my 12th marathon of the year (156 in total) before facing a marathon-free November. Next stop: Gerês Extreme Marathon in December, which will likely close out my 2025 sporting year.
See you.
