Typical race-weekend conditions
Mild & mixed- High / Low
- 16° / 10°
- Humidity
- 78%
- Rainy days
- 27%
Averages from ~10 years of history around race day.
Know before you go
- ✈️ From London
- ~2h36
- 🕐 Time
- Same as UK
- 💷 Money
- £1 ≈ €1.17
- 🗣 Language
- Portuguese
- 🌫 Air quality
- Good
- 🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+
- Very welcoming
- 🛡 Safety
- Very safe
Country-level indices: LGBTQ+ via Equaldex · safety via Global Peace Index 2025 . Air quality is recent PM2.5; money is indicative.
The course
Starts mid-span on the 25 de Abril Bridge for a dramatic descent, then runs riverside along the Tagus to finish by the Jeronimos Monastery in Belem. Almost entirely flat and record-quick.
Where to stay
Base yourself in Baixa or Cais do Sodre for transport links, or Belem to be near the finish and monuments.
Getting there
Lisbon Airport is 15 minutes by metro (red line) to the centre; runners are bussed to the bridge start on race morning.
That weekend
The expo sits at a riverside venue with a shakeout run along the Tagus; save time for pasteis de nata in Belem and a tram ride through Alfama.
Who it's for
For runners who want a fast spring half with a memorable start on the 25 de Abril Bridge and a Belém finish, plus a city-break attached. Suits PB-curious travellers who don't mind race-morning buses to the bridge and hills everywhere except the course. Excellent couple trip: pasteis de nata, trams, and the Tagus do the non-running half.
Sample 4-day trip
Arrive, explore, race, then head home. A proper weekend, not a rushed fly-by.
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Day 1: Arrive
Fly into Lisbon (LIS). The metro (red line) reaches the centre in about 15–20 minutes. Public transport is genuinely good here and the default for most runners. Book a private transfer for late flights, heavy bags, or a group heading straight to Belém.
Base in Baixa, Cais do Sodré, or Belém . Keep the evening easy: a short wander, a pastel de nata if you cannot wait, and an early night.
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Day 2: Shakedown Run and Explore the City
Collect your bib at the expo (riverside venue; check the year’s location) and jog an easy shakeout along the Tagus. Keep it flat and short. Lisbon’s hills are everywhere except the race course, so do not treat a miradouro climb as a warm-up.
Afternoon for light sightseeing: a tram through Alfama at a tourist pace, or stay riverside with Belém tickets if you want something booked. Early dinner in the centre; pin the bib and set two alarms. Race-morning buses to the bridge start are not optional for most waves.
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Day 3: Race Day
There is an organised transfer to the 25 de Abril Bridge start. Arrive early for bus queues and bag drop. The race itself is flat and fast once you are off the bridge; finish by the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém.
Celebrate with a pastel de nata (you have earned more than one), then tram or metro back if you are not Belém-based. Keep the rest of the day gentle: Tagus views beat climbing Alfama on race legs. A proper seafood lunch nearby is the treat. Browse more Lisbon ideas only if you still have energy.
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Day 4: Final Day
If the flight is later, Belém monuments at recovery pace or a slow coffee in Baixa still fits. Metro back to LIS is quick, so leave a buffer anyway, or book a transfer to the airport . Three nights lets Lisbon feel like a city break with a bridge-start half attached, not a rushed PB weekend.
What drives the cost
Flights and race-weekend hotels in Baixa/Chiado are the main cost drivers from the UK; entry is relatively modest. Belém lodgings trade central buzz for finish-line convenience. Three nights lets you enjoy Lisbon without racing the airport the same day you race the half. March can be shoulder for tourism but race weekend still fills. Keep activities to free viewpoints and one paid site if you're watching the total; the Tagus and miradouros do a lot without the Viator line.
