Porto's half-marathon is getting a revamp after this year's edition turned into a medical emergency. Run in mid-September as temperatures climbed well into the 30s Celsius, the race saw multiple runners collapse from heatstroke, with five needing to be intubated in hospital.
Responding at a public meeting of the municipal executive — and under questioning from PS councillor Manuel Pizarro — Porto's mayor Pedro Duarte laid out the changes. The start time will move an hour earlier, from 9am to 8am, to dodge the worst of the mid-morning heat. The route will also change, shifting to Porto's riverside, a layout the mayor says makes it easier to move both participants and emergency services around. Until now, the start and finish were on Avenida de Dom Carlos I in Foz do Douro.
Numbers are part of the problem too. This year's race drew a record 15,000 registered runners, and while not everyone showed up on the day, Duarte says participation will now be capped. He defended the organisers, RunPorto, saying the race organisation was 'respected' and 'scrutinised', and that September 13 brought 'a special and abnormal weather context' — while acknowledging that in any mass running event some people do feel unwell, just perhaps in greater numbers this time.
The mayor's broader message to runners: know your body, train properly, and don't be afraid to pull out. He recounted one alarming case of a young runner who avoided drinking water, believing it would make him feel worse — when, as Duarte pointed out, hydration is exactly what prevents that.
Jorge Teixeira, founder of RunPorto, told the Lusa agency the event's safety and public health provision was 'exemplary' and that hospitalisations would have been higher without the level of preparation in place.
For travellers, this is a reminder that Portugal's shoulder-season events can land on surprisingly hot days. If you're planning a running trip to Porto around the half-marathon, check the revised date and capped entry list early — a record field plus a smaller limit means places will likely go fast. The new riverside route should also make for a prettier run along the Douro, with the city's famous bridges as a backdrop.
