Who is in the house
MoaHouse leader · in the house all week
Nordic TigonBrand sponsor · nordictigon.com5 women5 menAverage age 306 spots left
A nineteenth century villa in Massarelos, inside Porto, ten runners and the Porto Marathon. You arrive on Thursday, race on Sunday morning, leave on Monday. In between, the week is built around the race: the easy runs, the taper, the meals, the transport. What is left to you is the running.
The Marathon (+half)
Forty two kilometres along the ocean and the Douro, out and back twice from the same park. Flat, fifty metres of gain in the whole race, and no bridge to climb.
The start is at the Queimódromo, inside Parque da Cidade at the Castelo do Queijo end of the park, at 8:00. Grids are chosen at the Expo by expected finish time: under 3h15, 3h15 to 3h45, over 3h45. The course runs north along the sea to Matosinhos, comes back past the start at 20 km, then turns south to Foz do Douro and follows the north bank of the river east to the turnaround past 30 km. The finish is back at the Queimódromo. Water every 5 km, and six hours to the cut off.
The entry covers the bib and timing chip, the technical shirt, the finisher medal, the online certificate, the photo finish and the results. In 2025 the marathon had 4,672 finishers, with around 15,000 runners across all the distances of the day.
Distance
42.195 km
Road marathon
Terrain
Road
100% paved
Elevation
Flat
50 m of gain
Altitude
Sea level
30 m highest point
Temperature
14 °C
Mild and damp
Humidity
High
84%
Wind
Coastal
17 km/h
Entry
€65 to €80
Earlier is cheaper
Date, start, grids, refreshments and entry fees from the organiser, Maratona do Porto. Course, elevation, finishers and November averages from the published race guides. Checked in September 2026.
Is this retreat for me?
Relax
Group life
Nature
Sea
Free time
City
Full Program
We land in Porto and twenty minutes later we are at the house: a white nineteenth century villa in Massarelos, with a garden and a pool, ten minutes from the centre. The afternoon is for settling in, and whoever wants to goes down to loosen their legs along the river. In the evening we all have dinner together for the first time, ten people running the same race on Sunday.
Included
- airport transfer
- night in the house
- dinner in the house
Not included
- flights
In the morning we run along the Douro to Foz, forty five easy minutes in two pace groups, with the ocean opening up at the end. A long breakfast when we get back and half an hour of mobility in the garden with Katia. The afternoon belongs to Porto: Ribeira, the yellow tram along the river, the market, sunset from Gaia with the city in front of us. We get back and Shkembor is already cooking the carb loading dinner.
Included
- run with the coach
- breakfast and dinner in the house
- transport to Porto
Not included
- entries and tastings
Twenty minutes with four strides and the legs are done for the day. We take care of the bibs: while we are at the Expo, back at the house there is the physio, the garden and the sofa. We eat early and go to bed early, because tomorrow we run.
Included
- activation session
- breakfast and dinner in the house
- transport to bib pick up
Not included
- marathon entry
Breakfast in the dark, at the hour each of us needs. Van to Parque da Cidade, a warm up together, and at eight we go: 42.195 kilometres with the Atlantic on the left and the Douro at the end, fifty metres of climbing in the whole race. We are out on the course at two points, and at the finish there is a blanket, something hot and a medal round your neck. Then the house, the sofa, and in the evening the party dinner.
Included
- race breakfast
- transport to the start and back
- final dinner
Not included
- marathon entry
Breakfast with no alarm and a last walk in the garden. Before leaving there is time for a chill turn of Porto: a coffee on the Ribeira, an unhurried stroll to Foz, a few last photos by the water. Whoever still has legs goes down to Matosinhos and throws themselves into the ocean. Then the vans to the airport, on your flight time.
Included
- breakfast
- chill tour of Porto
- airport transfer
Not included
- flights
What's included in the retreat
4 nights, 5 days accommodation
All meals prepared by chef & nutritionist
Water, tea, coffee, fruit served throughout the day
Recovery protocols
Daily meditation classes
Welcome kit (Sprinta bag, race-week essentials, local gifts)
Post retreat online integration
Pre and post retreat support from our team
Wifi connection
Activities with coaches, pro athletes & mentors
Post-race party
What's not included
Flights costs
Additional treatments
Additional activities not included
What Makes This Retreat Special
The house is a restored nineteenth century villa in Massarelos, inside Porto, with the garden in front and the pool lower down among the planting. A pergola covers a long table that seats everyone, and the lawn takes a mobility session in the morning. Ten minutes by car and you are at the start. The afternoons stay empty on purpose, because that is the part of the week that does the work.
Seven rooms, each with its own bathroom, in a house that has eight. Light curtains, heating, wood underfoot and windows onto the trees: the night before a marathon is not the night to sleep badly. The washing machine is in the house, which after five days of running counts more than it sounds.
A private bathroom in every room
One kitchen for the chef
A long table for fourteen
Heating
Washing machine
Pool and garden
Terrace under the pergola
Free parking
Shkembor Beshaj cooks in the house, and builds the menus with Alessandra Ippolito, a sports nutritionist who works with endurance athletes. Breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with water, coffee, tea and fruit through the day. On Sunday the race breakfast is served at the hour your wave asks for.
Meals Provided
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
Diets Catered
Egg-free
Gluten Free
Vegan
Vegetarian
Ten runners, one race, one house. You do not book a spot, you are selected for one: every house is composed on pace, goals and age, in a band between 26 and 38. For a week the marathon is the ordinary thing everyone at the table is talking about.
Moa is in the house for the whole week: the easy run on Friday, the activation on Saturday, the course walked through, and the warm up together on race morning. A marathon runner chasing the Olympic dream. She is the one who builds your last week.
House Leaders
Our dedicated house leaders live in the villa throughout the week, coordinating meals, logistics, recovery, and the daily rhythm so you can focus only on your race.
House leader
Moa
She lives in Porto and stays in the house all week: she meets you on arrival, holds the days together and answers you before you even apply. A marathon runner chasing the Olympic dream.
Certified Nutritionist
Alessandra Ippolito
Sports nutritionist specializing in endurance performance. Optimizing race-week fueling and recovery.
Trail Runner & Yoga Guide
Katia Plazzotta
Trail runner and climber. Brings yoga and mobility to the house.
Private Chef
Shkembor Beshaj
Formerly Langosteria, Milan. Founder of TestaCodaClub.
Brand sponsor
Nordic Tigon
Nordic Tigon is the brand that runs the week with us: their kit is in the house, on the training runs and at the start line. nordictigon.com
How payment works
Nothing is due while an application is read. Money moves only once a room is yours.
01
Application
€0
Read by a person. No card, no commitment.
02
Introduction call
€0
Twenty minutes on the phone, to see whether the house fits.
03
Room assigned
€300
Deposit, within 7 days of the answer.
04
Balance
€900
By 5 October 2026, thirty days before arrival.
Your race bib
The entry for the EDP Porto Marathon sits outside the retreat price. We can buy it for you at cost, or you can book it yourself.
Until 31 March
€65
Until 31 October
€80
Find your flight
You land at Porto, Francisco Sá Carneiro airport. From the airport to the house is a twenty minute private transfer, included in the price. The flight is yours to book.
Depart
Porto (OPO)
Arrival
Porto (OPO)
€1,200
Country
Porto, Portugal 🇵🇹
Dates
Nov 5 - 9, 2026 (5 days, 4 nights)
Group
10 guests
Age
26 · 38
Language
English and Italian
Applying costs nothing.€300 when a room is assigned, €900 by 5 October 2026.
