Your plan in four answers
Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada has not announced its next date, so we have estimated February. Change the date below once you know it.
- Distances
- 10K, 6K
- Sport
- Running
- Field
- About 2,300 runners and walkers took part in 2026
Course
The Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada course
The races start and finish on Avenida Amílcar Neto in the centre of Lousada, at 10:00 on the Sunday before Carnival. On the 2026 route the 10 km runs through the town past the Largo do Pelourinho and Avenida Senhor dos Aflitos, out along the Variante de Vila Meã and Avenida Duarte Leite past the municipal stadium, then back through Praça da República.
Read the full course notes
From there it heads out on Avenida Sá e Melo and Rua Joaquim Burmester to a turnaround just before the roundabout of the Eurocircuito, Lousada's motorsport circuit, and returns through the centre to the finish. The 6 km run and walk share the first part of the route and cut back to the finish after Avenida Combatentes da Grande Guerra. Water is at km 5 and at the finish, and there is a 2-hour limit.
- Distances
- 10K, 6K
- Field
- About 2,300 runners and walkers took part in 2026
- Weather on race day
- Mid-February in the Vale do Sousa is usually cool and often wet, around 7–13 °C at the 10:00 start, and rain is common in a northern Portuguese winter. Wear a light layer or gloves you can stash, and take care on wet cobbles and road markings on the turns.
What to train for
A 10 km with several turns and a long out-and-back rewards rhythm changes, so include weekly intervals such as 5 x 1 km at 10 km pace with 90 seconds of jogging, plus a tempo run of 20 to 30 minutes.
Practice taking corners efficiently and getting back to pace straight afterwards.
Use the out-and-back to your advantage: run the outbound leg relaxed and push from the turnaround. Do some sessions in cold, wet weather so you know what to wear on the day.
Sample week
A sample Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 6 × 800 m at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 8 km
- Thursday Key session
- Tempo run, 8 km with 3 km comfortably hard
- Friday
- Recovery run, 5 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 11–13 km easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 5 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Taper
Tapering for the Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada
Start the taper seven to ten days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp.
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Build me a training plan for the Corrida do Carnaval (10K) in February. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada training questions
How long should I train for the Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada?
Most runners give a 10k ten to twelve weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada course hilly?
The races start and finish on Avenida Amílcar Neto in the centre of Lousada, at 10:00 on the Sunday before Carnival.
What is the weather usually like at the Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada?
Mid-February in the Vale do Sousa is usually cool and often wet, around 7–13 °C at the 10:00 start, and rain is common in a northern Portuguese winter. Wear a light layer or gloves you can stash, and take care on wet cobbles and road markings on the turns.
When should I start tapering for the Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada?
Start the taper seven to ten days before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp.
Do I need an account to get a Corrida do Carnaval de Lousada training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.