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After moving to Portugal in 2022, I decided I needed a new goal for 2023. And thus my plan to run one half marathon every month in a new country was born. Read on for my review of the Funchal Half Marathon, race one of twelve.

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Race Overview

The Funchal Half Marathon is a good January race. Unlike many of the races you see to start the year, this one will be warm. The course passes through the lower portions of the city of Funchal with views down to the Atlantic and up into the mountains of Madeira. It stays relatively close to the ocean in an effort to minimize hills for the runners.

Side note: This was also my first European half marathon, so the switch from training in miles to running with km markers was slightly jarring. It feels like cheating when you get to see a new checkpoint every four minutes.

About the Course

To be quite honest I found this course to be very reliant on loops. I personally find loops to be my worst enemy, as I get bored easily when running and like visual distractions. I also prefer to run half marathons where the course will really show a variety of places in the city. Of course, I understand that this was done to avoid the hills, but essentially the race was two loops that you did twice.

By the halfway point I was feeling very bad for the full marathon runners, as they had to do each loop four times.

Crowds and Cheering at the Funchal Half Marathon

I have to admit, the crowds at the Funchal Half Marathon were low energy. I thrive on cheering and high fives from little kids, but there was none of that along this course. What this course did have was some small but enthusiastic groups of support that will cheer for all runners. It wasn’t a total bust, but not as great as I have seen.

Hydration Tables at the Funchal Half Marathon

Before this race I saw a post that the Funchal Half did not have enough stations. There were three stations total, which sounds low, until you factor in that you pass each one twice. Roughly one station every 2 miles was plenty for me, but if you are a runner who (like the comment I saw months ago) needs more hydration than keep that in mind.

The tables all had water, an electrolyte drink, orange slices, and bananas.

Weather at the Funchal Half Marathon

Can I say it was too sunny? Am I allowed to make that complaint for a race in the middle of January? The sun on Madeira is very strong, and despite the temperature only reaching 60°F (15°C) it felt much warmer in the sun.

Of course, this is Madeira. The day before the race had been very rainy and race day was the first one I saw during my visit that did not have any rain at all. So be prepared for anything with this race, weather on Madeira can change on a dime.

What To Do in Funchal

For this race I took a long weekend and stayed in Funchal with day trips out of the city. If you want to stay in the city, I recommend checking out Blandy’s Wine Lodge for a tour and tasting, or the Mercado dos Lavradores. A short trip up the hill and you can find the cable car, botanic gardens, and the famous sleds. Madeira is also home to some amazing fresh fruits and fish, I went to Akua for a post-race celebration and had some of the best food in my life.

If you are interested in signing up for next years edition of the Funchal Half Marathon, please click here.