Your plan in four answers
Set for December 31, 2026, about 9 weeks out.
- Distances
- 10K
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Field
- Capped at 3,250 runners in the 10 km (sold out for 2026)
- Taper starts
- December 22, 2026
Course
The São Silvestre da Amadora course
The oldest São Silvestre in mainland Portugal, first run in 1975, starts at 18:00 on New Year's Eve on Estrada dos Salgados beside the Amadora Este metro station and finishes at Praça São Silvestre. The 10 km heads into the centre of Amadora on Avenida Eduardo Jorge and Rua Elias Garcia, past the Parque Aventura roundabout, then climbs Estrada da Falagueira and Estrada Serra da Mira to the 'rotunda do vulcão'.
Read the full course notes
The Subida de São Brás before that roundabout hosts the intermediate sprint prize, and recent winners call the first 6 km the hardest part of the race. After a loop through the streets around Avenida Dom Nuno Álvares Pereira and the Estrada Velha de Queluz, the course returns along Rua Elias Garcia to the finish. The official profile shows about 126 m of total climbing and a high point of 177 m, all run under the streetlights after sunset.
- Terrain
- Hilly
- Distances
- 10K
- Field
- Capped at 3,250 runners in the 10 km (sold out for 2026)
- Weather on race day
- On the evening of 31 December, temperatures around Lisbon are usually 8–12 °C, often damp, and it is already dark by the 18:00 start. Keep a warm layer on until you enter your start block (blocks close at 18:00), and expect to warm up quickly once the climbing starts.
What to train for
Most of the climbing comes in the first 6 km, so practise starting conservatively: run long runs on hilly routes with the hills early, then finish at goal pace.
Once a week, do 6 to 8 repeats of 2 minutes uphill at 10K effort with jog-down recoveries to prepare for the São Brás climb.
Add a 20 to 25 minute tempo run on undulating roads, and do a few sessions in the evening to get used to running hard after dark. The course closes after 2 hours, so every finisher has plenty of time.
Sample week
A sample São Silvestre da Amadora 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
- Hill repeats: 8 × 60 s up a steady grade, jog back down
- 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 on hilly ground, steady effort on the climbs
- Sunday
- Easy run, 5 km, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the São Silvestre da Amadora
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. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on December 31, 2026, your taper starts around December 22, 2026.
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 São Silvestre da Amadora (10K) on December 31, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
São Silvestre da Amadora training questions
How long should I train for the São Silvestre da Amadora?
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 São Silvestre da Amadora course hilly?
Hilly. The oldest São Silvestre in mainland Portugal, first run in 1975, starts at 18:00 on New Year's Eve on Estrada dos Salgados beside the Amadora Este metro station and finishes at Praça São Silvestre.
What is the weather usually like at the São Silvestre da Amadora?
On the evening of 31 December, temperatures around Lisbon are usually 8–12 °C, often damp, and it is already dark by the 18:00 start. Keep a warm layer on until you enter your start block (blocks close at 18:00), and expect to warm up quickly once the climbing starts.
When should I start tapering for the São Silvestre da Amadora?
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. The course is hilly, so keep one short hill session in the first taper week to keep the climbs familiar. With the race on December 31, 2026, your taper starts around December 22, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a São Silvestre da Amadora 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.