I was in wave 6 and crossed 30km in just under 4 hours so well within cut off time. Aid stations completely disappeared, as did check points. Myself and a lovely lady I met along the way got lost and had to use google maps to get to the finish line! My official chip time is way out. Only water and a banana at the end as everything had been packed away. For someone with a stoma, no access to water for 12km is very dangerous! Also only bottled water was being offered until 21km in comparison to previous marathons I’ve done which has had fully loaded stations from 5km.

🎉🎉🎉 Lisbon Half – We did it! 🏅💪 What a day! This morning kicked off with a shared taxi 🚖 at 6:45 AM with a friendly German gentleman his second time running it, 🇩🇪saving the planet together 🌍 lol. We got to the train station 🚉 and waited 20 minutes for a train 🚆, packed in like sardines 🐟, but I was just happy to be on board 😊. On the other side, the loo queue 🚻 had a pass-the-toilet-roll moment 🧻😂, which gave us all a good laugh. As we stepped out, a fantastic brass band 🎺 lifted everyone's spirits 🎶. Then came the walk to the start line 🏃‍♀️ of course, uphill ⛰️ to reach the bridge 🌉, passing through three security checks 🔒. The atmosphere was good with dance music blasting 🎧 as we waited for the bridge to open. They don't open it until the race starts as you run it! Feeling so happy and emotional at that moment! Starting on the bridge was epic Lisbon, the river, the port, pretty houses, and miles of views 🌊🏘️. It more beautiful than I could have imagined. The sight of thousands of runners crossing in different directions was breathtaking and reminded me of Beat the Bridges on a grander scale. Seeing all the country flags 🇬🇧🇩🇪🇫🇷🇺🇸🇪🇸🇮🇹 lined up was a beautiful touch. The sun ☀️ came out, making it a warm but lovely run. I was so grateful for the showers on route 🚿—bringing back Birmingham Half memories! And we even had Alabama blasting with Elvis also joining us on the way 🎶🎸. The last 5 miles? Brutal. 😅 It’s two lanes, you pass the finish line and have to double back 😭, but I turned up my tunes 🎧 and reminded myself: The race won’t beast me—I’ll beast the race! "I own it, enjoy it" 💥 Kept breathing, pushed through, and told myself, the faster I run, the sooner I finish! It's just like the bypass at home 😂🏃‍♀️💨 The heavens opened as I crossed the line 🌧️, but I didn’t care I hit my A-goal with an 11-something pace! 🎯💪 Then, a walk back to the hotel, where my husband met me for pizza & milkshake 🍕🥤(best post-race reward!). Now rehydrating in a bath 🛁 with lemon water 🍋 and reflecting on an amazing day 20 miles clocked up! Lisbon—loved every minute! 💙 Made so many memories. This race is epic if you plan right! 🏅✨If you don't plan, leave mega early and have a postive mindset it's a different experience. Don't be put off I enjoyed it! The people are friendly thank you to all involved

Amazing day at the Lisbon Marathon yesterday! Pulled it out of the bag and somehow smashed a sub 3 time! Weather was warm (20° on the start line) and humid but luckily the sun decided to hide behind the clouds! The misting (read: cold water showers) on the course were amazing and helped to manage the temperature and humidity. Course was picturesque and had a lovely wind coming in off the ocean to chill along the course. Cobbles were a bit of a killer in the end but a top course and a great day out! Would definitely recommend 😁

Ensure you give yourself plenty of time to get to the starting line. Theres a 15 min walk from the train station to the starting line & the ques for toilets were very long so ensure ample time if you want to get into your correct wave and get started on time. Brilliant event with one of the most memorable finish lines you will experience!

This was my second time running Lisbon marathon, the first time being in 2016 which was my first time breaking 4 hours. The course has changed since then and it is now a Portuguese organised event rather than being part of the American Rock 'n' Roll race series. 

The expo was behind the Altice Arena. I went on Thursday whcih was the opening day before the exhibitors hadn't set up their stands and it wasn't busy then. I was in and out in 10 minutes. 

The organisation and pre-race information was outstanding. The course has changed since 2016 for the better. The start is in the same location in Cascais and the finish is in the Praça do Comércio in Lisbon. Around 75% of the course is next to the sea and the Tagus river.

There were batches of spectator support along the way and the refreshment stations were well stocked with water, energy drinks and fruit. The finish was in the main square in Lisbon with the half and full marathon runners arriving into the square from opposite directions finishing adjacent to each other. 

In terms of logistics, the trains are free for runners staying in Lisbon and need to get to Cascias on Sunday morning. You would need to get a train between 06:00 and 06:45 to make the 08:00 start. The journey time is 40 minutes. I chose to stay in Cascais on Saturday night.

The baggage drop and collection were smooth and efficient. All the marshalls along the course were supportive and helpful. We were expected to were masks to enter the start corrals and were given masks to were at the finish before collecting our medals, water and goody bag. 

This is a great race to do if you're a planning to run a fast time or if it's your first marathon. For this years race the weather was in the favour of runners. I would advise everyone to run the Maraton da Lisboa.