About Us
Thirty-nine years strong
Each year runners/walkers, Portuguese or not, gather and race in the historic Ironbound section, celebrating Portuguese-American culture.
The Portugal Day Races take place every year around the first or second Sunday of June, usually the closest one to the Portuguese national holiday. The race was founded in 1979 by the late Manuel Parente and directed for many years by the late Domingos Cravo. It has been organized by Lar Dos Leos (Den of Lions) since then. In honor of their service to the Portuguese community, we have named the Cravo Kid Dash and the Parente Mile in the honor. We have also named the 5k in honor of a longtime sponsor to the Portugal Day Races, the late Jack Casimiro. If it was not for their great service and generosity, these races would not be possible.
Great awards and fun, just ask anyone
"Another year, another award! This is a great race, and one of my favorites! I look forward to coming back next year."
"Looking forward to it!!! Love this race. Very well run (excuse the pun) and great raffle prizes."
"The 5K race is a flat fast coarse. Great Run!
My first time but not my last"
The folks that make this event possible...
- Den of Lions/ Lar dos Leoes
- Iberia Restaurant
- Power Concrete
- Underground Utilities
- Sumol
- Seabra Group
- Trinufo Import & Export
- Teixeiras Bakery
- Mayor Ras J. Baraka
- City of Newark
- Newark Police Department
- Ironbound Ambulance Squad
- Radio Luso-Americano
- Luso Americano Newspaper
- SPT/SIC International
...Thank you!