More than 35,000 runners - including 5000 foreign runners representing 64 countries - lined up for the Lisbon Half Marathon on Sunday, a race which has been given a 1-star certification rating from European Athletics Running for All.
The standout feature of the half marathon course is the spectacular 2.3km journey across the River Tagus on the 25 de Abril Bridge, connecting the municipality of Almada to the capital city where the finish-line is located.
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The masses were preceded by strong elite men’s and women’s lineups with home runners featuring prominently, especially in the women’s race. Jessica Augusto led the women’s race for a substantial part of the middle section before finishing seventh in 70:38 in a race which was won by reigning world marathon champion Mare Dibaba from Ethiopia in 69:43.
Augusto, who has won senior medals at continental level on the track, roads and at cross country, had a disappointing Olympics last summer where she failed to finish the marathon but the Portuguese star is clearly back in shape ahead of the Hamburg Marathon next month where she will attempt to break the legendary Rosa Mota’s long-standing national record of 2:23:29.
New Zealand’s Jake Robertson won the men’s race on his debut in 60:00 while Samuel Barata was the leading domestic finisher in sixth in 63:52.
Next year’s edition of the Lisbon Half Marathon is scheduled to take place on 11 March.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]