EDP Maratona de Lisboa

The Race

The EDP Maratona de Lisboa runs on the first Sunday of December through the Portuguese capital, starting at Parque Eduardo VII - the formal park at the top of Avenida da Liberdade - and finishing at Praça do Comércio on the Tagus waterfront. The course is largely flat, running south and east through the city with a net downhill profile from the park to the river. Cool December conditions, low humidity, and a flat course make this a strong choice for runners targeting a personal best.

The finish at Praça do Comércio is one of the finer finish line settings in European marathoning: a large 18th-century square open on the Tagus side, with the triumphal Arco da Rua Augusta to the north and the river visible straight ahead. The December light on the Tagus estuary at race finish time is specific and worth running toward.

Entry

The EDP Maratona de Lisboa is open entry - no ballot, no lottery. Register directly at edpmarathonlisboa.com when entries open. Entry typically opens several months before race day and sells out as the date approaches; do not leave registration late if the dates work for your schedule.

Check the official website for current Good for Age and Championship entry standards. A dedicated EDP charity entry pathway is also available for runners who wish to raise funds for supported causes.

Race Weekend

Expo and Number Collection

The race expo and number collection takes place at FIL - Lisbon International Fair in the Parque das Nações district, on Friday and Saturday before race Sunday. FIL is accessible on the Red Metro Line (Oriente station, two stops from the airport). Check the official website for current opening hours; number collection must be completed before race morning - it is not available on race day.

Getting to the Start

The start is at Parque Eduardo VII, the formal park at the top of Avenida da Liberdade. From central accommodation in the Chiado or Baixa, the Metro is the most straightforward route: Blue Line to Marquês de Pombal (one stop from Baixa-Chiado) or Blue Line to Parque. Both stations are within short walking distance of the start area. Check current Metro times for race morning; trains run early but confirm the first service is early enough for your wave start time.

The Course

The course runs south and east from Parque Eduardo VII, down through the city to the Tagus waterfront. The route passes through the Baixa, along the riverfront, and through several of Lisbon's central neighbourhoods. The general profile is flat with a net downhill from the park to the river. December conditions on this course are typically good for fast running: cool air, low humidity, and little direct sun in the morning hours.

The final kilometres along the Tagus waterfront can have an Atlantic wind from the west; check the forecast in the week before the race and plan pacing accordingly.

The Finish

The finish line is at Praça do Comércio (Terreiro do Paço) on the Tagus waterfront. After crossing the line, the bag collection area is in the finish zone; the nearest Metro stations are Terreiro do Paço (Blue Line) and Baixa-Chiado (Blue and Green Lines), both within short walking distance.

Where to Stay

Stay near the finish at Praça do Comércio, not the start. The start is at Parque Eduardo VII, accessible by Metro from anywhere central; the finish is at Praça do Comércio on the Tagus waterfront, and walking back to your hotel on post-race legs is significantly easier from Chiado or the Baixa than from the start area north of Avenida da Liberdade.

The Chiado and Baixa districts give the best combination of finish proximity, restaurant choice, and transport access for post-race excursions. Both are flat along the main streets, though Chiado has some gradient between the upper and lower parts.

Book four to six months in advance. December is a busy travel month in Lisbon and central hotels near the finish fill early on marathon weekend. Prices are generally lower in December than peak summer.

See & Do

The finish at Praça do Comércio puts you at the edge of central Lisbon with the Tagus immediately in front. The Baixa grid and the Chiado are flat and navigable from the finish area. What follows covers the territory within reasonable post-marathon reach of the finish and the hotels above.

Praça do Comércio and the Terreiro do Paço Ferry

The finish square itself is worth spending time in on a non-race day. The **Arco da Rua Augusta** - a triumphal arch at the north end of the square, with a lift to the roof terrace giving views over the Baixa grid and the Tagus - is the accessible landmark. The **Terreiro do Paço** ferry terminal below the square connects to Cacilhas on the south bank of the Tagus in 10 minutes; the crossing gives the only view of the Lisbon waterfront that cannot be replicated from any point on land. Ferries run every 30 minutes from early morning. The crossing is flat and the walk on the Cacilhas side is flat along the riverfront.

Time Out Market Lisbon

The Time Out Market (Mercado da Ribeira) on Avenida 24 de Julho, 1.2km west along the waterfront from Praça do Comércio, occupies the ground floor of the 1892 municipal market building. The original food market still operates in the eastern half; the western hall is the Time Out kitchen concept: 35 restaurant counters and bars, all permanent traders, covering the range of Portuguese cooking alongside wine and craft beer. Flat access throughout. In December the waterfront walk to reach it is exposed to the Tagus wind; the 15E tram along the riverfront covers the distance in five minutes.

Belém

Belém, 6km west along the waterfront, is accessible on the 15E tram from Praça do Comércio (approximately 35 minutes, trams every 10--15 minutes). The Torre de Belém (16th-century Manueline tower on the Tagus bank) and the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Manueline monastery, UNESCO-listed, with the tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões in the church) are within 400 metres of the tram stop. Pastéis de Belém at Rua de Belém 84 - the original custard tart bakery operating since 1837, with the recipe kept confidential - is three minutes' walk from the monastery. The queue moves; buy at least four. The area around the monuments is flat; the Jerónimos cloister requires some stair-climbing to access the upper gallery.

Museu Nacional do Azulejo

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo (National Tile Museum), 3km east of Praça do Comércio in the former Convent of Madre de Deus, holds the most complete collection of Portuguese decorative tile in the world - from the 15th-century Moorish-derived geometric tradition through to contemporary production. The 23-metre blue-and-white panorama panel depicting pre-earthquake Lisbon (c.1700) is the specific holding of note. Accessible by bus 718 from Praça do Comércio or by taxi. Largely flat inside. Check current hours at museudoazulejo.gov.pt.

After the Race

The Lisbon Marathon runs in early December - which places the post-race days at the start of the Portuguese winter. The Atlantic coast is at its roughest and the beaches at their emptiest. The Alentejo plain is cold at night and mild by day. The Sintra Serra in December mist has the specific quality the 19th-century Romantic palace-builders were working toward. These are the right conditions for all the itineraries below.

Post-marathon legs recommend flat walks, trains that move while you sit, and restaurants with wood-burning stoves. All seven itineraries are planned with that in mind.