A running trip to Portugal is definitely worthwhile.
Thanks to the many coastal cities, such as Lisbon and Porto, you can easily combine participation in a running event with a beach vacation. But you won't miss beautiful trails in Portugal either.
The country of ten million inhabitants is known for its successful soccer. Stars like Eusébio, Luis Figo and of course Christiano Ronaldo were and still are among the world's best soccer players. The latter also played a major role in the Portuguese national soccer team winning its first major title on the international stage at the 2016 European Championships in France.
In athletics, Portugal's strengths lie in long-distance runners. Carlos Lopes, for example, was responsible for Portugal's first Olympic victory in 1984 when he won the marathon at the Olympics. His counterpart is Rosa Mota. The runner became Olympic champion four years later at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. She also won the Boston Marathon three times, the Chicago Marathon once, the Tokyo Marathon once and the London Marathon once.
The biggest running events in Portugal
The most internationally known running event in Lisbon is the "Meia Maratona de Lisboa" or "Lisbon Half Marathon". First held in 1991, the half marathon has even been the scene of half marathon world records. In 2010, Zersenay Tadese managed the fastest time ever run over the 21.1 kilometers with 58:23 minutes. The world record held for eight years by the runner from Eritrea. In 2021, Jacob Kiplimo achieved the first time under 58 minutes over the half marathon distance with 57:31 minutes at the Lisbon Half Marathon.
Every year, more than 10,000 runners take part in the half marathon.
You can run a marathon in the Portuguese capital at the Lisbon Eco Marathon. The running event is held in the spring. Other well-known marathons include the Maratona do Funchal (Funchal Marathon) in January, the Maratona de Lisboa (Lisbon Marathon) in October and the Maratona do Porto (Porto Marathon) in November.
More running and triathlon tips in Portugal
Apart from the city runs, there are several other interesting endurance events in Portugal. For example, there is the Madeira Island Ultra Trail. This is an ultra trail of up to 115 kilometers on the island of Madeira. It is one of the best-known ultra trails in Europe outside the Alps. Another popular event in Madeira is the Madeira Skyrace.
Triathletes have the opportunity to participate in Challenge Lisboa in May and IRONMAN 70.3 Cascais in November. Both competitions are middle distances.
All Running Races in Portugal (sorted by date) can be found in the following overview:
Running competitions 2024 in Portugal
Louzantrail
 | 03.03.2024 |
| 02.03.2025 |
 | Louza |
 | 43 km (3.000 Hm) / 29 km (2.000 Hm) / 16 km (1.260 Hm) / 11 km (800 Hm) |
Lissabon Halbmarathon / Meia Maratona de Lisboa
| 17.03.2024 |
| 09.03.2025 |
| Lissabon |
| 21,1 km / 10 km / 7 km |
MIUT® - Madeira Island Ultra-Trail®
| 27.04.2024 |
| 26.04.2025 |
| Porto Moniz |
| 115 km (7.200 Hm) / 85 km / 60 km / 42 km / 16 km |
Azores Trail Run - The Whaler’s Great Route Ultra-Trail®
| 03.05.2024 |
| 02.05.2025 |
| Faial |
| 118 km (5.000 Hm) |
Ultra Trail Cerveira
| 11.05.2024 |
| 10.05.2025 |
| Vila Nova de Cerveira |
| 46 km (3.700 Hm) / 21 km (1.745 Hm) / 15 km |
Sky Marathon Montejunto - Hard Trail Montejunto
| 19.05.2024 |
| 18.05.2025 |
| Cadaval |
| 36 km (2.600 Hm) / 26 km (2.000 Hm) / 16 km (1.200 Hm) / 10 km (800 Hm) |
Serra Amarela Sky Marathon
| 16.06.2024 |
| 15.06.2025 |
| Entre Ambos-os-Rios |
| 48 km (2.800 Hm) / 33 km (1.900 Hm) / 23 km (1.200 Hm) / 15 km (670 Hm) / 9 km |
Lissabon Marathon / Maratona de Lisboa (EDP Lisbon Marathon)
| 06.10.2024 |
| 05.10.2025 |
| Cascais |
| 42,2 km / 21,1 km / 8,5 km |
Azores Trail Run: Volcanoes Trail
| 25.10.2024 |
| 24.10.2025 |
| Horta |
| 26,5km (2.400 Hm) + 28,8 km (1.700 Hm) + 30,9 km (1.453 Hm) |
Pisão Extreme
| 23.11.2024 |
| 22.11.2025 |
| Serra da Arada |
| 65 km (6.500 Hm) / 35 km (3.500 Hm) / 20 km (1.850 Hm) / 10 km (800 Hm) |
Go to the running calendar Portugal
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