Your plan in four answers
Set for September 19, 2027, about 47 weeks out.
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Terrain
- Flat
- Field
- About 10,000 runners started in 2026, from a record 15,000 entries
- Taper starts
- September 7, 2027
Course
The Porto Half Marathon course
The 2026 race started and finished on Avenida de Dom Carlos I in Foz do Douro and ran as an out-and-back along the Douro and the Atlantic: inland along the river under the Arrábida Bridge and past the Ponte Luís I and Ponte do Infante to a first turnaround, then back to the coast and north past Praia do Carneiro to a second turnaround at Avenida de Montevideu. The official profile never rises more than about 15 m above sea level, so the only changes in gradient are gentle ramps along the river road.
Read the full course notes
For 2027 the city has announced that the start moves toward the Ribeira riverfront and forward to 8:00, so check the new map when it is published. Expect river and ocean views all the way, with the Ribeira, the port wine lodges of Gaia across the water and the bridges as your landmarks.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- Half marathon
- Field
- About 10,000 runners started in 2026, from a record 15,000 entries
- Weather on race day
- Mid-September in Porto is usually 15–24 °C, but warm spells happen: an unusually hot morning in 2026 is why the 2027 start moves an hour earlier. A cool Atlantic breeze or sea fog is just as likely, so check the forecast and adjust your goal pace on warm days. Drink at every aid station (5, 10, 15 and 20 km).
What to train for
A flat river course makes this a pacing race: aim for even splits and treat the two turnarounds as checkpoints, not places to surge.
Your summer build is the key: threshold sessions like 4 × 2 km slightly faster than half marathon pace, and long runs of 16–20 km with the last 20 minutes at race pace.
Because September can be warm, run some sessions in the heat of the day during August to adapt, and practise drinking on the move.
Sample week
A sample Porto 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 Porto 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 September 19, 2027, your taper starts around September 7, 2027.
Also in Claude
Ask Claude for this plan
Add AthleteSpace to Claude once, then paste this prompt and put in your own numbers.
Build me a training plan for the Hyundai Meia Maratona do Porto (Half marathon) on September 19, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Porto Half Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Porto 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 Porto Half Marathon course hilly?
Flat. The 2026 race started and finished on Avenida de Dom Carlos I in Foz do Douro and ran as an out-and-back along the Douro and the Atlantic: inland along the river under the Arrábida Bridge and past the Ponte Luís I and Ponte do Infante to a first turnaround, then back to the coast and north past Praia do Carneiro to a second turnaround at Avenida de Montevideu.
What is the weather usually like at the Porto Half Marathon?
Mid-September in Porto is usually 15–24 °C, but warm spells happen: an unusually hot morning in 2026 is why the 2027 start moves an hour earlier. A cool Atlantic breeze or sea fog is just as likely, so check the forecast and adjust your goal pace on warm days. Drink at every aid station (5, 10, 15 and 20 km).
When should I start tapering for the Porto 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 September 19, 2027, your taper starts around September 7, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Porto 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.