Mexico City Marathon 6:00 pace chart
A 6:00:00 finish at the Mexico City Marathon averages 13:44 per mile (8:32 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 7:52/km and the hardest around 9:52/km — about 120 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 3:00:16 — an almost exactly even split. The hardest kilometre on the course sits near kilometre 31; at this goal time it should take 9:52/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 6:00:00
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 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time, downhills less, at one constant effort throughout.
| Kilometre | Target /km | Target /mi | Elev Δ | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8:41 | 13:59 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 8:41 |
| 2 | 7:52 | 12:40 | -51 ft (-15 m) | 16:34 |
| 3 | 8:50 | 14:12 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 25:23 |
| 4 | 8:07 | 13:03 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 33:30 |
| 5 | 8:35 | 13:48 | +2 ft (+1 m) | 42:05 |
| 6 | 8:15 | 13:16 | -26 ft (-8 m) | 50:20 |
| 7 | 8:34 | 13:47 | -25 ft (-8 m) | 58:54 |
| 8 | 8:35 | 13:49 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:07:29 |
| 9 | 8:07 | 13:04 | -29 ft (-9 m) | 1:15:36 |
| 10 | 8:45 | 14:04 | +15 ft (+5 m) | 1:24:20 |
| 11 | 8:18 | 13:21 | -18 ft (-6 m) | 1:32:38 |
| 12 | 8:41 | 13:59 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 1:41:19 |
| 13 | 8:33 | 13:46 | +3 ft (+1 m) | 1:49:52 |
| 14 | 8:31 | 13:42 | -1 ft (0 m) | 1:58:23 |
| 15 | 8:25 | 13:33 | -6 ft (-2 m) | 2:06:48 |
| 16 | 9:01 | 14:30 | +34 ft (+10 m) | 2:15:49 |
| 17 | 8:30 | 13:40 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 2:24:19 |
| 18 | 8:36 | 13:51 | +6 ft (+2 m) | 2:32:55 |
| 19 | 9:00 | 14:28 | +31 ft (+10 m) | 2:41:55 |
| 20 | 8:44 | 14:03 | +16 ft (+5 m) | 2:50:39 |
| 21 | 8:47 | 14:09 | +17 ft (+5 m) | 2:59:26 |
| 22 | 8:28 | 13:37 | -11 ft (-3 m) | 3:07:54 |
| 23 | 8:16 | 13:18 | -20 ft (-6 m) | 3:16:10 |
| 24 | 8:33 | 13:46 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 3:24:43 |
| 25 | 8:41 | 13:59 | +11 ft (+3 m) | 3:33:24 |
| 26 | 9:00 | 14:29 | +33 ft (+10 m) | 3:42:24 |
| 27 | 8:17 | 13:19 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 3:50:41 |
| 28 | 8:19 | 13:23 | -14 ft (-4 m) | 3:59:00 |
| 29 | 8:29 | 13:38 | -3 ft (-1 m) | 4:07:28 |
| 30 | 8:04 | 12:58 | -34 ft (-10 m) | 4:15:32 |
| 31 | 8:25 | 13:32 | -7 ft (-2 m) | 4:23:56 |
| 32 | 9:52 | 15:53 | +83 ft (+25 m) | 4:33:48 |
| 33 | 8:13 | 13:13 | -35 ft (-11 m) | 4:42:01 |
| 34 | 8:01 | 12:54 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 4:50:02 |
| 35 | 8:44 | 14:04 | +8 ft (+3 m) | 4:58:46 |
| 36 | 8:06 | 13:02 | -37 ft (-11 m) | 5:06:52 |
| 37 | 8:57 | 14:25 | +26 ft (+8 m) | 5:15:49 |
| 38 | 8:17 | 13:19 | -22 ft (-7 m) | 5:24:06 |
| 39 | 8:18 | 13:21 | -17 ft (-5 m) | 5:32:24 |
| 40 | 8:43 | 14:01 | +9 ft (+3 m) | 5:41:06 |
| 41 | 8:42 | 14:01 | +10 ft (+3 m) | 5:49:49 |
| 42 | 8:32 | 13:43 | -1 ft (0 m) | 5:58:20 |
| 42.2 | 8:30 | 13:41 | -1 ft (0 m) | 6:00:00 |
Frequently asked questions
What pace is a 6:00 marathon?
A 6:00:00 marathon is 13:44 per mile or 8:32 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 6:00 at the Mexico City Marathon?
3:00:16. That is the grade-adjusted halfway target for this course, not simply half of 6:00:00 — 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 6:00 goal produces splits between 7:52 and 9:52 per kilometre — about 120 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 6:00:00. Uphill sections get more time and downhill sections less, at a constant effort throughout.
Is 6:00 a realistic marathon goal?
6:00 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.