Half Marathon with Nearly Half of Participants of Foreign Nationality

About 10,000 people will run in the Porto Half Marathon next Sunday, with 40 percent of the athletes being of foreign nationality A race that has established itself as a must-stop for international athletes and paved the way for the European Running Business Conference to be held in Porto in 2026.

This is a record in the number of international athletes participating in the race: of the total registrants - around 10,000 - 40 percent are from other countries. An increase that stands out due to the greater attractiveness of this race, but also because Porto is a city with ideal conditions for hosting such a competition.

The 17th Porto Half Marathon was presented this Wednesday at Alfândega do Porto, just days before hitting the road and covering, once again, 21 kilometres, always with the Douro in sight. This year, due to the ongoing Metro do Porto construction works, the race will take place only on the Porto side, similar to what happened in 2022. The start is scheduled for Sunday, 15 September, at 9 a.m. on Avenida D. Carlos I, next to Jardim do Passeio Alegre.

For the Councillor for Sport and Youth, 'holding another race demonstrates the vitality of an organisation like Runporto, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2024'. Catarina Araújo also mentioned that 'the connection to a competition of this scale aligns with the municipality's sports policy, aiming to enhance the city as a premier destination with ideal conditions for practising various sports through these events'.

Among the participating countries, and in addition to Portugal, France has the highest number of registered athletes. Out of the total participants, 558 athletes come from France, 447 from the United Kingdom, 410 from Spain, and 389 from Brazil.

In total, there are participants from 36 European countries, 13 countries in the Americas, 13 countries in Africa, 17 countries in Asia, and 2 countries in Oceania.

Ricardo Teixeira from Runporto notes that there are 'many athletes who have previously secured first place in past events', returning to this competition in pursuit of setting a new record and adding another title to their achievements.

Porto and Gaia United in Organising the Event

The municipalities of Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia are joining forces once again for this initiative, along with entities such as Turismo Porto e Norte de Portugal and the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth (IPDJ).

Guilherme Aguiar, the Sports Councillor of Vila Nova de Gaia, regards this race as 'a significant milestone for the region's recognition', even though this year the city will experience the event only from across the river.

This year, the Porto Half Marathon will feature a new addition: On the previous day, 14 September, from 5 p.m., the Church of Antas will host a Mass for the Blessing of the Marathon Runners, which is open to all participants and will include a message from the Bishop of Porto, Manuel Linda.

Race numbers can be picked up on Friday and Saturday at Alameda Shop&Spot, the usual location for collecting the participation kit, which includes, as always, the event t-shirt.

European Conference in Porto in 2026

Thanks to 30 years of experience in organising major road races, Runporto is now seeing a long-held dream come true: being one of the entities involved in organising a major sports conference.

Porto will host the European Running Business Conference in 2026, an initiative by European Athletics that brings together various professionals in the sports field, including athletes, promoters, organisers, and personnel involved in athletics.

Following Athens, Greece, which will host this year's edition in November, Porto 'has all the conditions to be the host city for this global meeting', said Marko Vasic, the person responsible for the organisation.

Porto will host the European Running Business Conference in 2026, an initiative by European Athletics that brings together various professionals in the sports field, including athletes, promoters, organisers, and personnel involved in athletics

From 6 to 8 November 2026, coinciding with the Porto Marathon, around 600 participants from different nationalities and responsible for various events are expected at Alfândega do Porto to create a forum for discussing the present and future of major athletics events.

The meeting will feature several guests and speakers who will share their personal perspectives on this field with everyone. For this organiser, 'as the running sports industry continues to grow, so does this conference, giving industry leaders the opportunity to interact with their peers and share best practices', emphasises Marko Vasic.