The Lisbon Half Marathon

The Lisbon Half Marathon, A Super City: When life gives you lemons go and get a PB!

Where do I even begin? If you'd told me a few months ago that I'd be crossing a finish line in Lisbon with a new PB, I'd have laughed, probably through gritted teeth, literally, since my jaw was wired shut at the time.

It all started when I tripped on one of the country's notorious potholes while training for the Leicester Half. I broke my jaw and ended up in maxillofacial surgery, off the roads for six weeks. I was gutted. I came along to support my Run Loughborough teammates on race day, but watching rather than running was tough. Still, I wasn't going to let it beat me. I kept my fitness up on the cross trainer and joined the social runs with Pippa, my dog, she was great company, even if she didn't care much about my pace.

Getting back to running after six weeks was nerve-wracking. That first run back felt huge, but I got out there and did it.

Being around the Run Loughborough community really kept me motivated. Hearing what everyone else was taking on inspired me to not just return to half marathon training, but to set my sights higher, the Super Six Series. Eight weeks out, without even knowing if I'd get a bib, I started training for the first race of the year: Lisbon.

I did my research properly. While some of my Run Loughborough friends would also be there, I wanted to make a full week of it and explore the city, as a solo traveller. I chose the Dream Chiado Apartments, perfectly positioned between the shopping district and the Old Town, with a two-minute walk to Chiado Metro station. On race day, that made life so much easier.

Four weeks to go, and I got my bib! It was really happening.

Time to travel, Pippa, I'll miss you!

Leaving for Luton at 2:30 in the morning was all part of the adventure. Halfway down the M1, we ground to a halt in dense fog and my heart sank, was I going to miss my flight? Thankfully, everything moved and I made it through to the gate in time for my 7:30am EasyJet departure.

Landing in Lisbon, the airport took over an hour to get through and I missed my pre-booked taxi. I took a breath, found the airport shop and picked up a Lisbon Card, all travel and attractions covered, which was brilliant. I also discovered that Uber works just as well there as it does at home, and it's cheaper too.

After a quick hotel check-in I was straight out exploring. As a solo traveller, I found that planning ahead made all the difference. I used TripAdvisor to build a proper itinerary, the castle at the top of the hill, tinned fish tapas at Miss Cann, a ride on the iconic Number 28 tram, and stumbled across an unexpected bonus: the largest Zara in Europe. Obviously I went in.

When the other Run Loughborough athletes arrived, it was brilliant to catch up. We did a social run and walk along the Tagus River, helped each other register and collect our bibs, and had a good look around the Expo.

The day before the race I joined a shakeout run hosted by the Can Run Club from Porto. Five hundred runners gathered in the main square, Praça do Comérci, just 300 metres from my hotel, perfect timing. It was warm, friendly and I ended up chatting to loads of people from the UK. I've since had invites to run in different parts of the country from people I met that morning. It reminded me that being brave enough to just talk to strangers really does build something special, a little community of like-minded, positive people on your Strava.

Race Day!

Lisbon City made travel free on race day, so I hopped on the Metro and overground to get across to the start. I met up with the Run Loughborough crew and we headed over the river together.

The toilet queues were enormous, I was very glad I'd packed tissues. Worth noting too: the 2026 race had no bag drop, so everything you wanted at the finish, you carried. I wore my trail vest with plenty of pockets and packed a fresh T-shirt for the finish line. Sorted.

We lined up in waves. When Wave 4 was called I started to feel the buzz. Running across the bridge was genuinely thrilling, you could see for miles in every direction. I noticed that most runners only used one side of the road without realising the entire bridge was closed to traffic, so both sides were fair game!

The water stations were a lifesaver. It was only 17 degrees, but that's 10 degrees warmer than I'd left behind in the UK, and the sun was something else. The route was mostly flat with a few turning points where it got a bit bunched up. The cruellest moment? Spotting the finish line arch, and then running straight past it on the other side of the road with three miles still to go. Cruel.

I hadn't set out with a target pace or any pressure to chase records. My training had been rushed and I just wanted to enjoy myself, soak up the atmosphere, and complete my first half marathon on European soil. Though I was quietly aware that staying near six-minute kilometres would put me around the pace I'd originally hoped for at Leicester.

I crossed the finish line in 2:18:26, a new half marathon PB.

After the race

Plenty of photos to capture the race and the beautiful city before meeting up with the other athletes that evening to share stories over food and a well-earned celebratory drink. After everything we'd all put in, that camaraderie felt amazing.

Over the next few days I kept exploring, ending the trip perfectly with a famous egg custard tart at Pastéis de Belém. If you go to Lisbon and don't have one, did you even go?

Getting back to the airport was straightforward, Metro or Uber from the hotel, and just like that, I was on my EasyJet flight home.

I loved every single moment of it. So much so that I've already secured a place in Valencia this October, and I'm planning two more races in the Super Six Series for 2027, with the goal of completing all six before (or on!) my 50th birthday. Watch this space.