EDP Lisbon Half Marathon 2027: Race Day Sunday 7 March

Race day in Lisbon starts on a bridge that is closed to runners every other day of the year. The EDP Lisbon Half Marathon runs on Sunday 7 March 2027, organised by Maratona Clube de Portugal, with the field capped at 20,000 athletes and places allocated by ballot.

The race is one of the fastest half marathons in the world, and the 2026 edition set a men’s world record. If you hold a place, or you are travelling with someone who does, this post covers what AIMS and the organiser confirm for 2027, and how the first hour in Lisbon works.

AIMS, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, confirms the essentials for 2027. Maratona Clube de Portugal is using a ballot to allocate places for the second consecutive year, after applications for 2026 came in at 288 percent higher than the available spots. The ballot opened on 23 April and closed on 19 May, with selected participants announced in June, and the field is again limited to 20,000 athletes for logistical reasons. Entries also remain available through the organiser’s official partners, including tour operators and charity institutions.

The demand has a reason. In 2026, Jacob Kiplimo set a new men’s world record of 57:20 at this race, and AIMS says expectations for 2027 are even higher. The race morning programme is bigger than the half marathon alone: AIMS notes that registration for the Vodafone 10k, which also starts from the 25 de Abril Bridge, was open through the club’s website. The bridge start is the race’s signature, the one morning of the year the crossing over the Tagus belongs to runners.

Race day itself is Sunday 7 March 2027. Build the trip around an early start and a slow afternoon: Lisbon in early March is mild, the light over the river is at its best in the morning, and the city’s viewpoints and tascas make a natural recovery programme. If you missed the ballot, the partner and charity routes AIMS describes are the legitimate way in; the organiser does not sell places on the day.

Lisbon’s airport is practically in the city, with the metro station under Terminal 1, so race weekend arrivals are simple. All arrivals come into Terminal 1. See our Lisbon airport to city center transfer guide for every option, priced and compared.

For a Splurge, Bairro Alto Hotel, at Praça Luís de Camões 2 on the seam between Chiado and Bairro Alto, is an 18th century building turned intimate five star, with a rooftop terrace looking at the castle and the river. For Mid-range, The Lumiares Hotel and Spa, at Rua do Diário de Notícias 142 in Bairro Alto, offers apartment style suites with kitchens in a converted palace, plus a small spa and a rooftop bar. For Budget, Goodmorning Solo Traveler Hostel, at Praça dos Restauradores 65, sits two minutes from Rossio station, with free breakfast waffles and family style dinners.

All three are in the central districts, a metro ride from the airport and well placed for a race weekend base. For getting back, the Red Line runs straight from Alameda to Aeroporto station under Terminal 1.

Grab an Airalo eSIM before you fly; Saily is the guide’s solid alternative. Your first hour runs on data: the ride hailing apps, metro maps and your hotel’s door code message.

Pick up a navegante card at Aeroporto metro station for €0.50, one per person. Load zapping credit and every metro, bus and tram ride costs €1.72, or take a 24 hour Carris and Metro ticket for €7.25 if you are sightseeing hard. Older guides call the card Viva Viagem; it was renamed, not replaced.

Your first ritual is a warm pastel de nata with cinnamon, eaten standing at a counter. Book São Jorge Castle ahead in high season, and be there for the 9 am opening while the ramparts are still quiet. The guide’s day two plan is the Sintra and Pena Palace day trip, early, to beat the palace queues.

A world record course, a bridge start and a city built for the recovery walk: race weekend in Lisbon earns a few extra days. Browse the events calendar for what else is on while you are in town, and use plan your trip to line up the days around the race.