The Run in Cascais: Two Laps Along the Coast, Zero Flat, Possible Out-of-Season Heat

The Course: Forget Your Km Pace

Two laps of just over 10 km along the Guincho road to Cabo Raso and back. The profile is clear: a gentle climb in the first 2 km, then constant rollers. No flat sections. On a course like this, pace per km is almost useless information: a 5:00/km on a slight uphill and a 5:00/km downhill are two completely different efforts.

The practical choice is one: set your pacing by effort (heart rate, perceived exertion, or power if you run with a power meter), not by pace. Accept that your GPS will show erratic numbers and ignore it on the gradients.

The First 2 km: The Maturity Test

You start on a gentle climb, with legs still feeling the bike and the adrenaline of the transition. This is where most races are blown. Start deliberately below goal pace and settle in only after the first stretch. If at km 3 you feel held back, you got it right. If at km 3 you're already at the limit, the second lap will be long.

The Heat: The Factor That Changes Everything

Typical late-October temperatures point to highs around 25 °C and lows around 18 °C. But in 2025 the half marathon was run in full sun at 27-29 °C. It's not the norm, but it happened, and you need to prepare for the worst-case scenario:

• Train running in the heat in the final weeks: even sessions overdressed help adaptation.
• Prepare a cooling protocol: water over your head and neck at every aid station, ice where available.
• On the 2025 course there were two temporary showers: use both, on every lap, even if it costs you a few seconds.

Aid Stations: The Small-Cup Detail

Several 2025 race reports mention aid stations with small cups. At 27+ °C, a sip on the fly isn't enough. Two solutions, pick yours before race day:

1. Double cup at every aid station: one to drink, one over your head. 2. Walk for 5 seconds at the aid station and actually drink the entire cup.

Five seconds per aid station is less than a minute over the whole half. A dehydration blow-up at km 16 costs ten times that.

The Two-Lap Course: Use It to Your Advantage

Running two laps has an upside: on the second pass you know every ramp, every descent, every aid station. On lap one, note where the showers and aid stations are, and which sections are exposed to the sun. On lap two, manage accordingly. There's plenty of crowd support along the coast: it helps in the tough moments, but don't let it drag you into surging when the plan says hold steady.

Reference Times

Rough estimates (not official data) range from 1:28 for a top age-grouper to 2:30 for a relaxed finisher, with 2:05 as a middle-of-the-pack target. On this profile, with possible heat, an "honest" run split is worth more than an aggressive one: the difference between those who manage and those who blow up here is measured in 10-15 minutes, not seconds.

What to Do Now

• In the final 4-6 weeks, add runs on rolling terrain at controlled effort, ideally in the hot hours.
• Define your aid station protocol (double cup or walking) and test it on a long run.
• Set a Plan A and a Plan B for pacing: Plan B kicks in if the temperature goes above 26-27 °C. Deciding beforehand saves you from deciding badly mid-race.