Lisbon Marathon

The course

Lisbon is run almost entirely at sea level, with water beside you for the whole distance. The race starts on the Estrada N6-7 at Carcavelos. The course moved here because the traditional start at Cascais had long since become too small for the field. The opening leg runs west along the coast towards Cascais before reversing; from there it heads east for the rest of the morning along the Estrada Marginal, the coast road that ties the seaside towns to the capital. Belém comes late, then the 25 de Abril Bridge overhead at around thirty-nine kilometres, then the last stretch along the riverfront into the city. It finishes at Praça do Comércio, entered from the water with the square opening out ahead. Flat, paved, exposed. What the course asks for is patience: long straight stretches where the only thing changing is the light on the water.

Start

Estrada N6-7, Carcavelos, west of Lisbon

Finish

Praça do Comércio, central Lisbon

Shape

point-to-point

Terrain

Flat and coastal — run essentially at sea level with only gentle undulation, on road and seafront promenade. The organiser describes it as a '100% ocean- and riverside course'. Long, exposed, straight sections.