“The Marathon Club of Portugal is proud to announce that Lisbon is once again asserting itself on the international stage by joining the European Marathon Classics. This new marathon circuit has once again projected Lisbon internationally, attracting elite athletes and sports enthusiasts from around the world,” highlighted the president of the organising club, Carlos Moia.

The iconic London Marathon, one of the seven 'majors' along with Boston, Berlin, Chicago, New York, Sydney, and Tokyo, led the development of an exclusively European circuit, following the motto "one distance, eight cities, many cultures and a shared European identity".

In addition to the distance of 42,195 kilometres, the challenge for marathon runners is to complete at least eight races in the circuit to achieve the status of 'finalist' and collect the symbols of the European Marathon Classics races they have participated in on a single medal.

The marathons already completed, including the previous 12 in the Portuguese race since its inaugural edition in 2013, count towards this challenge, which has no time limit for completion.

"The European Marathon Classics not only promotes athletic excellence, but also reinforces our commitment to promoting the health and well-being of the community, while also providing a platform to celebrate our history, rich culture, and the unique landscapes of Cascais, Oeiras, and Lisbon," continued Moia.

This year, the European Marathon Classics calendar kicks off in Rome (22 March), continues the following month with races in Vienna (19 April), Madrid and London (26 April), and closes out the spring in Copenhagen (10 May).

After the summer, Warsaw (27 September) marks the resumption of marathons, with Lisbon (10 October) and Frankfurt (25 October) as the final opportunities to score points for the circuit.

"This initiative combines sport, tourism, and culture, encourages regular physical activity, and promotes responsible participation, supporting the integration of runners from around the world. Participants who complete at least five marathons in five different cities earn the title of 'finisher' and receive a special, collectable medal personalised with symbols from each completed race," the organisation explained.

This year, the Lisbon Marathon will once again be held on a Saturday, repeating the experiment begun in 2025 when it separated from the Portugal Half Marathon, which started at the Vasco da Gama Bridge and is now organised on the following Sunday.

Following the partnership between the race organised by the Marathon Club of Portugal and the London Marathon, initiated last year with the change of the starting point from the centre of Cascais to Carcavelos, the Portuguese race aims to reach 18,000 participants – three thousand more than in 2025 – and target 25,000 in three years.

The Lisbon Half Marathon, whose 35th edition will be held on 8 March, starting at 25 April Bridge in Almada, is also now part of the international 'super halves' circuit, along with Prague (28 March), Berlin (29 March), Copenhagen (20 September), Cardiff (4 October) and Valencia (25 October).