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Event Info Swimrun
Portugal Penacova

Event info Swimrun Portugal Penacova;

This event was first held in 2024! Held on forest paths and trails alongside the Mondego River, this is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Penacova is about halfway between Porto to the North and Lisbon to the South. The nearest sizeable town is Coimbra.

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Event Info Swimrun Portugal Penacova

Location

The municipality of Penacova, about halfway between Porto and Lisbon, but actually a bit closer to Porto. This event is in the mountains, along the Mondego River. The nearest town is Coimbra, which has rail connections to both Porto and Lisbon.

Courtesy Swimrun Portugal

How to get there

The closest airports are Porto and Lisbon (LIS).

Lisbon airport is the major international airport in Portugal. From Lisbon you can get a train to Coimbra, (2 hours), and from there a taxi to Penacova (about 20 minutes).

Porto airport (OPO) is smaller than Lisbon, but is served by many flights from across Europe.From Porto you can also get a train to Coimbra (1 hour 15 minutes), and from there continue with a taxi (about 20 minutes).

As you can see, Porto is almost an hour closer to Penacova by train compared to Lisbon!

Where to stay

Swimrun Portugal does not make any specific recommendations, but there is a campsite next to the start/finish area, on the opposite side of the river from Penacova town.

The town has everything you might need, such as supermarkets, pharmacies, petrol stations, restaurants and bars. There are a couple of centrally located Pensions and guesthouses.

Where Are You Going To Stay Near Penacova?

Find your accommodation here!

Race distances

There are 4 race distances at Penacova:

A Kids distance event
An Experience (Intro) of 8 km,
a Sprint distance of 15.3 km,
and a Standard distance of 26 km.

The 15.3 km race involves 3 swim legs and 3 running sections. The total swim distance is 1.5 km and total run distance is 13.8 km.

The 26 km event involves 2.7 km of swimming over 4 legs, and 23.3 km of running also over 4 legs. This course has a vertical element of 400 metres.

You can enter any of the distances as a solo competitor or as a team of two.

Race routes

All the races start and finish next to a parking area at the Bar Reconquinho.

Standard Race distance Swimrun Portugal Penacova route map

Standard Distance Event Route Map

Sprint Distance Route Map

Event Info Swimrun Portugal Penacova

Energy stations

Around each course there are several water stops, offering hydration (water and electrolyte drinks), and fruit.

Cut-off times

The Sprint race has a cut-off time of 4 hours from the starting gun, while the longer Standard race has a cut-off of 6 hours from the starting gun.

Weather

Due to be held on 14th June in 2026, the water is warming up winter, but the river is a bit on the cool side!. The weather is usually mild but a little unpredictable. The water temperature is around 16 degrees C, according to the race organiser. Most athletes do NOT wear wetsuits for the 2 shorter events, but the organisers recommend a wetsuit for the Sprint and Standard distance races.

There is always a chance of cold or wet weather, so you should take suitable clothing for every eventuality!

Summary of event info Swimrun Portugal Penacova

The Penacova event of the Portugal Series is at a great location.

Check dates for 2026 at our Calendar Europe 2026 page!

If you think that this page needs an amendment, please let us know via the Contact Us link. Thank you!

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Richard Mitchell, BDS, and Mogsy Ford are swimrun competitors and endurance athletes who write from direct racing experience. We have competed in swimrun since 2016, and bring added perspective from competitive running (5K to marathon) and open-water swim racing. This website has been mentioned by The Guardian newspaper. As married teammates, we train together, and build holidays around races. Read more at the 'About Us' page.