Lisbon Marathon - Stunning.

/October 10th 2026 - 4h01/

/Elevation 187m - Temperature 23℃

/Access via the website to buy your bib directly.

/Sponsor: Oysho

/8008 finishers for 14000 participants.

/Cut-off time: 6h.

"One of the rarest time I could just buy a bib without any ballot, stress or waiting list."

I started to be interested in Lisbon marathon when I heard it was the most beautiful in Europe. I’d describe it as a relatively fast destination marathon with a spectacular finish, but a noticeably quieter atmosphere than a World Major.

But this race was different - I knew it would be too hot to perform, so I just wanted to enjoy the run and the scenery. It started to be fun when I realised that a massive part of my fellow runners were French!

The EDP Lisbon Marathon is actually Portugal's biggest marathon and carries a World Athletics Elite Label. Lisbon is now one of the eight founding races of the European Marathon Classics, alongside London, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Madrid, Rome, Vienna and Warsaw.

THE EXPO

The Sport Expo was held at FIL (Feira Internacional de Lisboa) in the Expo/Parque das Nações area, with marathon bib collection on Thursday and Friday before the Saturday race.

Runners can collect the bib, timing device, gear-bag tag, technical T-shirt and participant bag. Not a big expo but still very nice with lots of booth and well organised.

THE COURSE

This is probably Lisbon's greatest strength.

The 2026 route started in Carcavelos and essentially followed the Atlantic coast and then the Tagus toward central Lisbon. The course is 100% alongside the sea and river.

⭐LISBON INFO TIP!

There is no toilet in the departure sas, so enter at the very last minute! I didn't know and I had to stop at km3 to pee :(

You get two rather different halves: the early kilometres have that open, coastal feel — ocean, beaches, long stretches of waterfront — while the later part gradually feels more urban as you approach Lisbon.

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It's also considerably flatter than people might assume when they hear "Lisbon." So I would call it fast but not perfectly flat. The bigger performance variables are actually sun, temperature and wind, because so much of the route is exposed.

Be ready for the biggest incline of the race between km9 and 10! It takes you by surprise and is quite tough.

The finish at Praça do Comércio is spectacular and great for family and friends to spot you! Running into that enormous yellow square beside the Tagus is a genuinely impressive marathon finish. I'd rate the finish location 10/10.

THE WEATHER

Conditions were actually pretty good at the beginning but became significantly warmer as the race progressed. I remember finishing at around 25 degrees!

Archived race-weather data puts it at approximately 15°C at the 08:00 start, around 16°C at 09:00, 18°C at 10:00 and 20°C around 11:00, with temperatures continuing upward afterward. Humidity was around 70%, and there was some moderate coastal wind.

THE ATMOSPHERE

Lisbon isn't Boston, London, Chicago or New York in terms of continuous crowd support. The coastal sections are beautiful, but there are places where spectators are relatively sparse. You can have substantial stretches where the ocean and other runners provide most of the atmosphere.

Once you get closer to central Lisbon, things improve considerably, and the approach to Praça do Comércio gives the race the big-city finish it deserves.

The marathon field is also much smaller than the really huge Majors, which makes it feel less overwhelming. No Medal Monday, no celebration before or even after the marathon, the event is definetely more discreet.

WHERE TO STAY

The start is at Carcavelos, about 30 minutes drive or 45 minutes train from Lisbon city center but it's not worth choosing a hotel close to the start. The organisation well planned a train timetable but to be honest, I prefered the comfort of a Uber or Bolt for 20 euros.

We stayed at Sheraton Hotel & Spa in Lisbon. The rooms are very nice, reasonably priced and they have a full spa that is definetely a plus after running a marathon!

WANT TO SEE MORE?

Check at my Instagram video for a live experience! This one is in French but real well illustrate the race.