Your plan in four answers
Set for December 30, 2026, about 9 weeks out.
- Distances
- 10K
- Terrain
- Flat
- Taper starts
- December 21, 2026
Course
The São Silvestre dos Olivais course
This is a night race: the 36th edition starts at 21:00 on 30 December by the Junta de Freguesia dos Olivais, in north-east Lisbon close to Parque das Nações. The 2026 map is still to be published, but recent editions have looped through the residential streets of Olivais (Rua General Silva Freire, Rua Vice-Almirante Augusto de Castro Guedes and Avenida Dr.
Read the full course notes
Alfredo Bensaúde) before heading out along Avenida de Berlim and Avenida Infante D. Henrique. The second half has wound through the Olivais Sul streets named after cities of the former Portuguese territories in Africa, such as Avenida Cidade de Luanda and Avenida Cidade de Lourenço Marques, before finishing at GO fit Olivais on Avenida de Berlim. It is a flat road course with several roundabouts and a short out-and-back, with a water station at 5.5 km. Expect a festive neighbourhood atmosphere under the streetlights.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- 10K
- Weather on race day
- Late December nights in Lisbon are usually 8–12 °C, often damp, with the occasional Atlantic shower or breeze. Warm up in a layer you can leave at the cloakroom and dress for the start, since you will warm up quickly on a flat 10 km.
What to train for
A flat 10 km rewards pace work: once a week, run 5 or 6 × 1 km at goal pace or slightly faster with 90 seconds of easy jogging between reps.
Add a 20 to 30 minute tempo run at threshold to hold pace through the second half.
Because the start is at 21:00, do a few key sessions in the evening, rehearse an early dinner around 17:30 and practise taking tight roundabout turns without losing rhythm.
Sample week
A sample São Silvestre dos Olivais 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
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the S ão Silvestre dos Olivais
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 flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on December 30, 2026, your taper starts around December 21, 2026.
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Build me a training plan for the São Silvestre dos Olivais (10K) on December 30, 2026. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
São Silvestre dos Olivais training questions
How long should I train for the São Silvestre dos Olivais?
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 dos Olivais course hilly?
Flat. This is a night race: the 36th edition starts at 21:00 on 30 December by the Junta de Freguesia dos Olivais, in north-east Lisbon close to Parque das Nações.
What is the weather usually like at the São Silvestre dos Olivais?
Late December nights in Lisbon are usually 8–12 °C, often damp, with the occasional Atlantic shower or breeze. Warm up in a layer you can leave at the cloakroom and dress for the start, since you will warm up quickly on a flat 10 km.
When should I start tapering for the São Silvestre dos Olivais?
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 flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on December 30, 2026, your taper starts around December 21, 2026.
Do I need an account to get a São Silvestre dos Olivais 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.