EDP Lisbon Marathon
Lisbon, Portugal · October · World Athletics Label
Why people love it
- Coast road from Carcavelos and Cascais to Praca do Comercio, past the Belem tower.
- Finish in Praca do Comercio with dense crowds.
- Free train to the start with your bib, about 30 to 40 minutes.
- Long straights, few turns and a 6 hour cutoff.
- Airport is about 7 km (4 mi) from the centre.
Watch out for
- Heat: starts of 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 °F), highs up to 29 °C (84 °F) and humid.
- Toilets are few at the start and on course, and some had no paper.
- Cobblestones in the last 1.6 km (1 mi) and rolling climbs in the first 24 km (15 mi).
- Slower runners in 2025 and 2026 reported water gaps and missing signs.
- Coastal wind can hit the seafront second half; a 2018 storm delayed the start.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
RaceRaves gives 3.3 of 5 from 11 ratings and Racecheck 4.2 from 5. Blogs praise the coast and finish; toilets and slow-runner treatment hurt. · Medium confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.3
Earlier reviewers praised the expo and baggage. In 2025 and 2026 runners reported no toilet paper, water gaps, missing signs and a wrong chip time. · Medium confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.4
A 6 hour cutoff and free train help, but heat hit many first-timers and slower 2025 runners felt hurried off the course. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialAverage3.4
Marketed as flat and fast, but one 2025 runner counted about 245 m (800 ft) of climbing by 24 km (15 mi), plus wind. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course scenerySpectacular4.5
Atlantic coast past Estoril, the Belem tower and the Tagus, ending at Praca do Comercio. The middle stretch is plainer. · Medium confidence
- Room to runRoomy3.9
Long straight coastal sections with few turns. Crowded start pens and toilet queues were the main complaints. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.3
Mostly asphalt, but several runners flag cobblestones in the last 1.6 km (1 mi) and one found them tough late. · Medium confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.8
Coast road and city streets appear closed, but little direct detail. Police pushed slower runners off the course in 2018 and 2025. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessMostly flat3.7
Organiser figures of 106 to 160 m (348 to 525 ft); one 2025 runner measured about 245 m (800 ft) by 24 km (15 mi). · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Point to point from Cascais to central Lisbon with gradual rises and falls. Boston eligibility is assumed, not confirmed. · Low confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.4
A free train from Cais do Sodre takes 30 to 40 minutes, then a 1 km (0.6 mi) walk. Trains fill; toilet queues are long. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.0
One 2025 runner saw only a 3:00 pacer, and a 2026 runner reported an incorrect chip time. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportDecent3.4
Sparse for much of the route, with a samba band near 30 km (18.6 mi) and dense crowds at Belem and the finish. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.4
Water about every 5 km (3 mi), gels and fruit in 2025, but 12 km (7.5 mi) without water in 2026 and toilets without paper. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind2.8
A 2025 review calls the seafront second half windy, and 2018 storm winds forced a delay. Breezes helped in 2024. · Medium confidence
- Air temperatureWarm or cool2.6
Starts run 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 °F), highs 19 to 29 °C (66 to 84 °F). Runners report hot, humid races. · High confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable2.8
Heat in 2017 and 2023, a storm that delayed the 2018 start by an hour, but a cool overcast day in 2024. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlySome viewpoints3.2
Spectators gather at Belem and Praca do Comercio, but the middle of the point-to-point route is hard to reach quickly. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
Coastal course at sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityPlentiful4.5
Lisbon is a large tourist city with plentiful hotels near the Cais do Sodre train departure. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.6
Moderate European city pricing in shoulder season. Little race-specific data. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.6
A free train takes 30 to 40 minutes to the start, and the finish at Praca do Comercio is central. · Medium confidence
- Travel easeVery easy4.7
A major European hub with the airport about 7 km (4 mi) from the centre. · High confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.6
The MEO Arena expo was smooth in 2025, and transit is free with the bib, but the start is very early. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.8
Lisbon is a major destination for food and sightseeing, and reviewers mention the city as a highlight. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy4.0
Open registration with tiered prices, no lottery and no sell-out reported. The field was capped at 8,000 in 2024. · Medium confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
EUR 70 to 130 ($75 to $140) in tiers. Medal and finish treats, but one reviewer felt the organisation fell short of the fee. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal
- Typical month
- October
- Latest or next date
- 10 October 2026
- Organiser
- World Athletics Label
- Field size
- About 8,000 athletes
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Climbing
- 130 m (425 ft)
- Start time
- 08:00
- Cutoff
- 6 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Road, with cobbled streets in the last mile
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Rarely
- Entry fee
- About $90
- Air temperature
- 15–28 °C (59–82 °F)
- Humidity
- High and coastal; one 2024 runner reported 20 C (68 F) and 95% humidity at the start
- Altitude
- 0 m (0 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Lisbon Humberto Delgado (LIS), 7 km (4 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Baixa and Chiado, Cais do Sodre, Belem
- Booking
- Stay central near Cais do Sodre, from where a free train runs to the start about 30 to 40 minutes. Trains after 07:10 may not reach the start in time.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRavesRaced 2025 · aggregator · Mixed
Mixed: 3.3 of 5 overall. Runners like the coast and the easy train to the start and call it fast, but report toilets without paper, no water in places, and slow runners hurried by police.
“ruined by poor organisation and/or greed”
- Racecheck (EDP Lisbon Marathon)Raced 2025 · aggregator · Positive
Average 4.2 of 5 across five reviews from 2021 to 2026. Early reviews praise logistics, baggage and aid; the single 2026 review (2.0) says aid points disappeared and the chip time was wrong. Tagged flat and fast.
“a brilliant event with a memorable finish line”
- Racecheck review of Rock n Roll LisbonRaced 2017 · blog · Negative
A 2017 half-marathon runner on the older Rock n Roll event found a dull middle, cobbles and a steep final mile, 23 to 33 °C (73 to 91 °F), a water stop that ran out and an expo queue over an hour.
“probably the hardest half I have run”
- Running.ReviewsRaced 2025 · blog · Mixed
Detailed review: about 245 m (800 ft) of climb in the first 24 km (15 mi), 20 °C (68 °F) with 95% humidity, a windy flat seafront and cobbles in the last mile. Aid good, toilets scarce, few pacers, finish unforgettable. Not a PB course.
“not a PB course, despite its marketing”
- Portugal ResidentRaced 2025 · article · Positive
First-person 2025 run in 4:05: buzzing start, supporters with signs, water, Powerade and gels, and ice cream at the finish. Hit the wall near km 36 (mile 22) but plans to return. Mentions being charged extra for registering from abroad.
“the suffering fades, and what stays with you are the highlights”
Show 3 more
- Grays LifeRaced 2024 · blog · Positive
Positive first marathon in 2024: overcast, flat coast road, steady support heaviest at the finish, a samba band near km 30 (mile 18.6) and water about every 5 km (3 mi). Main complaint is too few toilets and long queues.
“you deserved to be there, not to doubt yourself”
- Steel City Striders (via search summary)Raced 2017 · blog · Negative
A club report on the 2017 Rock n Roll marathon from Cascais to Lisbon on the Marginal road in hot, cloudless conditions that the writer found very hard.
“infernal”
- Marathons.com previewRaced 2025 · article · Positive
Preview of the 2025 race: flat and fast, 106 m (348 ft) of climbing, a free train to the start and a dense crowd on the final stretch. Organiser-style material.
“long straights and few turns”
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Sources
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