Menapians Athletic Club Conquers Lisbon Half Marathon: A Journey of Fun, Rain and Racing
After last year’s successful trip to Helsinki, members of the Wexford town based Menapians Athletic Club turned their sights to Lisbon for their annual running adventure, taking on both the half marathon and 10km race.
The group explored Lisbon on Saturday, taking in the city’s cultural and historical highlights. A visit to Castelo de São Jorge provided stunning panoramic views, while a stroll through the iconic Praça do Comércio worked up an appetite before lunch at the renowned Time Out Market.
Ironically, the group was met with a touch of familiarity—the grey skies and drizzle of Ireland seemed to have followed them to Lisbon, and everyone had great fun trying to stand between the myriad of raindrops as the blue skies of Lisbon turned a dull grey to greet their guests from the Emerald Isle.
When the strangely shy sun did make an occasional appearance, Lisbon dazzled like a peacock, revealing its vibrant tiled facades, historic architecture and the shimmering Atlantic coastline.
Race Day Challenges
Race day arrived with anticipation in the air as runners from around the world lined up to take on Lisbon’s famous course. The race itself offered two events, a half marathon which attracts up to 20,000 competitors annually and a 10km route which up to 12,000 people enter.
Sunday saw three of the group—Tony, Tadhg, and Enda—take on the half marathon, one of six prestigious ‘Super Halfs’ in Europe. Over 17,000 runners began their journey with a 3km run across the iconic 25 de Abril Bridge, offering breathtaking views of the city. However, after the bridge, the race route proved somewhat monotonous, with long, straight stretches and a few “double backs” offering little variety. The 10km participants, including Eavan, Louise, Peter, Janette, Ilze, Sinéad, Orla and David, followed a similar course alongside 12,000 fellow competitors.
Organised Chaos
Unfortunately, race organisation left much to be desired, particularly at the starting area. A severe shortage of toilet facilities meant numerous athletes, both male and female, had to relieve themselves in public, on a bank at the side of the road, in full view of everyone.
Runners struggled to reach their designated starting waves due to heavy congestion. There were supposed to be four waves, but such were the crowds that it was impossible to get through the throngs of people to the correct wave. That meant many elite runners had to begin from the back. In the end, the organisers left everyone go at once which resulted in a congested track at times which limited overtaking opportunities and frustrated those going for a coveted PB.
There were goodie bags for all participants, which included a T-shirt, a baseball cap, and a finisher’s medal featuring the iconic 25 de Abril Bridge.
Overall travelling to Lisbon was a fun adventure, the city with its old buildings and historic city is well-worth a visit however due to the disorganisation, especially at the beginning of the race, I’d recommend people look elsewhere for a running weekend away.