Your plan in four answers
Set for March 7, 2027, about 19 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Field
- More than 30,000 participants across the weekend's races; the half is capped at 20,000
- Taper starts
- February 23, 2027
Course
The Lisbon Half Marathon course
One of the most famous starts in running: the main field lines up on the deck of the 25 de Abril Bridge, reached only by Fertagus train to Pragal, and runs north across the Tagus with Lisbon ahead. Off the bridge the route drops into Alcântara and follows Avenida 24 de Julho east to Praça do Comércio and a turnaround at Campo das Cebolas.
Read the full course notes
Runners then retrace the riverfront west along Avenida da Índia and the Marginal almost to Dafundo before turning back to finish in front of the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém. Apart from the bridge in the first kilometres the course is flat, which is why the organisers bill it as one of the fastest half marathons in the world. Elite runners start separately at Cruz Quebrada and join the main field around km 7.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon, 10K
- Field
- More than 30,000 participants across the weekend's races; the half is capped at 20,000
- Weather on race day
- Early March in Lisbon is usually 11–17 °C around the 9:30 start, a comfortable range for fast running. The bridge deck and open riverfront are exposed, so a crosswind on the bridge or a headwind along the Tagus is the main risk, and March showers are common. There is no bag drop, so bring a throwaway layer for the wait on the bridge.
What to train for
Flat and fast means pace discipline: the drop off the bridge and the crowd make the first 3 km feel easy, and that is where most people overcook it.
Practise starting 5–10 seconds per km slower than goal pace in long runs and tune-up races.
Build to sessions like 3 × 5 km at half marathon pace with 2 minutes easy, and long runs of 18–22 km with the last 5 km at goal pace. With two turnarounds, practise slowing and re-accelerating smoothly in your interval sessions.
Sample week
A sample Lisbon Half Marathon 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: 5 × 1 km at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 8–10 km
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 11 km with 6 km at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 6 km, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–19 km easy
- Sunday
- Easy run, 6 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Lisbon Half Marathon
Start the taper ten to fourteen 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. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on March 7, 2027, your taper starts around February 23, 2027.
Also in Claude
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Build me a training plan for the EDP Meia Maratona de Lisboa (Half marathon) on March 7, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Lisbon Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Lisbon Half Marathon?
Most runners give a half marathon twelve to sixteen 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 Lisbon Half Marathon course hilly?
Flat. One of the most famous starts in running: the main field lines up on the deck of the 25 de Abril Bridge, reached only by Fertagus train to Pragal, and runs north across the Tagus with Lisbon ahead.
What is the weather usually like at the Lisbon Half Marathon?
Early March in Lisbon is usually 11–17 °C around the 9:30 start, a comfortable range for fast running. The bridge deck and open riverfront are exposed, so a crosswind on the bridge or a headwind along the Tagus is the main risk, and March showers are common. There is no bag drop, so bring a throwaway layer for the wait on the bridge.
When should I start tapering for the Lisbon Half Marathon?
Start the taper ten to fourteen 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. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on March 7, 2027, your taper starts around February 23, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Lisbon Half Marathon 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.