Mexico City Marathon 5:00 pace chart
A 5:00:00 finish at the Mexico City Marathon averages 11:27 per mile (7:07 per kilometre) — a solid finish for a first marathon or a runner building back up. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest kilometre comes in around 6:34/km and the hardest around 8:13/km — about 100 seconds between the two extremes. Holding an identical number on every kilometre of a course with this profile means running the climbs too hard and the descents too easy. Held at even effort, halfway comes up at 2:30:13 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 31; at this goal time it should take 8:13/km, and giving it that time is the difference between finishing Mexico City on plan and unravelling in the last hour.
Kilometre-by-kilometre targets for 5:00:00
Grade-adjusted splits computed from the Mexico City Marathon elevation profile with the Minetti gradient-cost model, scaled so the full course adds up to 5:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:15 | 11:39 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 7:15 |
| 2 | 6:34 | 10:33 | -51 ft (-15 m) | 13:48 |
| 3 | 7:21 | 11:50 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 21:10 |
| 4 | 6:46 | 10:53 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 27:55 |
| 5 | 7:09 | 11:30 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 35:04 |
| 6 | 6:52 | 11:04 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 41:56 |
| 7 | 7:08 | 11:29 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 49:05 |
| 8 | 7:09 | 11:31 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 56:14 |
| 9 | 6:46 | 10:53 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:03:00 |
| 10 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 1:10:17 |
| 11 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 1:17:12 |
| 12 | 7:14 | 11:39 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:24:26 |
| 13 | 7:08 | 11:28 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:31:34 |
| 14 | 7:06 | 11:25 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:38:39 |
| 15 | 7:01 | 11:17 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:45:40 |
| 16 | 7:31 | 12:05 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 1:53:11 |
| 17 | 7:05 | 11:24 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:00:16 |
| 18 | 7:10 | 11:33 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:07:26 |
| 19 | 7:30 | 12:04 | +31 ft (+10 m) | 2:14:56 |
| 20 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 2:22:12 |
| 21 | 7:20 | 11:47 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 2:29:32 |
| 22 | 7:03 | 11:21 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:36:35 |
| 23 | 6:53 | 11:05 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:43:28 |
| 24 | 7:08 | 11:28 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 2:50:36 |
| 25 | 7:14 | 11:39 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 2:57:50 |
| 26 | 7:30 | 12:04 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 3:05:20 |
| 27 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 3:12:14 |
| 28 | 6:56 | 11:09 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:19:10 |
| 29 | 7:04 | 11:22 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:26:13 |
| 30 | 6:43 | 10:49 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 3:32:56 |
| 31 | 7:00 | 11:17 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 3:39:57 |
| 32 | 8:13 | 13:14 | +83 ft (+25 m) | 3:48:10 |
| 33 | 6:51 | 11:01 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 3:55:01 |
| 34 | 6:41 | 10:45 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 4:01:42 |
| 35 | 7:17 | 11:43 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 4:08:59 |
| 36 | 6:45 | 10:51 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 4:15:43 |
| 37 | 7:28 | 12:00 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 4:23:11 |
| 38 | 6:54 | 11:06 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 4:30:05 |
| 39 | 6:55 | 11:08 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 4:37:00 |
| 40 | 7:15 | 11:41 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 4:44:15 |
| 41 | 7:15 | 11:40 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 4:51:31 |
| 42 | 7:06 | 11:26 | -1 ft (0 m) | 4:58:37 |
| 42.2 | 7:05 | 11:25 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:00 marathon?
A 5:00:00 marathon is 11:27 per mile or 7:07 per kilometre held for the full 26.2 miles (42.195 km). On the Mexico City Marathon specifically, the elevation profile means even effort produces uneven splits — the table on this page gives the target for every kilometre.
What should my halfway split be for a 5:00 at the Mexico City Marathon?
2:30:13. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:00:00 — it accounts for where the climbing sits. Reaching the half meaningfully faster than this on this course usually means you have spent the effort you need for the closing miles.
Should I run even splits at the Mexico City Marathon?
Even effort at a 5:00 goal produces splits between 6:34 and 8:13 per kilometre — about 100 seconds between the easiest and hardest one. Grade-adjusted pacing gives back time on the descents and spends it on the climbs, which is what running an even physiological effort actually looks like on a course with this profile.
How are these Mexico City Marathon splits calculated?
Each kilometre is weighted by its gradient using the Minetti et al. (2002) cost-of-running polynomial, which measures the metabolic cost of running at grades from −45% to +45%. The total is then scaled so the whole course adds up to 5:00:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:00 a realistic marathon goal?
5:00 is a solid finish for a first marathon or a runner building back up. Whether it is realistic for you depends on your recent race results and weekly volume rather than on the number itself — the race-time predictor on this site will convert a recent 5K, 10K or half-marathon result into a marathon estimate using the Riegel power-law model.