Mexico City Marathon 5:30 pace chart
A 5:30:00 finish at the Mexico City Marathon averages 12:35 per mile (7:49 per kilometre) — a steady, sustainable finish, and the pace most first-time marathoners should actually target. Run at even effort rather than even pace, the easiest kilometre comes in around 7:13/km and the hardest around 9:03/km — about 110 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 2:45:14 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 31; at this goal time it should take 9:03/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 5:30:00
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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7:58 | 12:49 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 7:58 |
| 2 | 7:13 | 11:37 | -51 ft (-15 m) | 15:11 |
| 3 | 8:06 | 13:01 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 23:16 |
| 4 | 7:26 | 11:58 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 30:43 |
| 5 | 7:52 | 12:39 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 38:34 |
| 6 | 7:34 | 12:10 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 46:08 |
| 7 | 7:51 | 12:38 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 53:59 |
| 8 | 7:52 | 12:40 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:01:51 |
| 9 | 7:26 | 11:59 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:09:18 |
| 10 | 8:01 | 12:54 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 1:17:18 |
| 11 | 7:36 | 12:14 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 1:24:55 |
| 12 | 7:58 | 12:49 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:32:53 |
| 13 | 7:50 | 12:37 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:40:43 |
| 14 | 7:48 | 12:34 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:48:31 |
| 15 | 7:43 | 12:25 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 1:56:14 |
| 16 | 8:16 | 13:18 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 2:04:30 |
| 17 | 7:47 | 12:32 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:12:17 |
| 18 | 7:53 | 12:42 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:20:11 |
| 19 | 8:15 | 13:16 | +31 ft (+10 m) | 2:28:25 |
| 20 | 8:00 | 12:53 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 2:36:25 |
| 21 | 8:03 | 12:58 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 2:44:29 |
| 22 | 7:45 | 12:29 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 2:52:14 |
| 23 | 7:35 | 12:12 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 2:59:49 |
| 24 | 7:50 | 12:37 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:07:39 |
| 25 | 7:58 | 12:49 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:15:37 |
| 26 | 8:15 | 13:16 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 3:23:52 |
| 27 | 7:35 | 12:13 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 3:31:27 |
| 28 | 7:37 | 12:16 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:39:05 |
| 29 | 7:46 | 12:30 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:46:51 |
| 30 | 7:23 | 11:53 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 3:54:14 |
| 31 | 7:42 | 12:24 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 4:01:57 |
| 32 | 9:03 | 14:33 | +83 ft (+25 m) | 4:10:59 |
| 33 | 7:32 | 12:07 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 4:18:31 |
| 34 | 7:21 | 11:50 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 4:25:52 |
| 35 | 8:01 | 12:54 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 4:33:53 |
| 36 | 7:25 | 11:57 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 4:41:18 |
| 37 | 8:12 | 13:13 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 4:49:30 |
| 38 | 7:35 | 12:13 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 4:57:06 |
| 39 | 7:36 | 12:14 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 5:04:42 |
| 40 | 7:59 | 12:51 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 5:12:41 |
| 41 | 7:59 | 12:51 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 5:20:40 |
| 42 | 7:49 | 12:35 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:28:29 |
| 42.2 | 7:48 | 12:33 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:30:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 5:30 marathon?
A 5:30:00 marathon is 12:35 per mile or 7:49 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 5:30 at the Mexico City Marathon?
2:45:14. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 5:30:00 — 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 5:30 goal produces splits between 7:13 and 9:03 per kilometre — about 110 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 5:30:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 5:30 a realistic marathon goal?
5:30 is a steady, sustainable finish, and the pace most first-time marathoners should actually target. 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.