Maratón de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City Marathon)
Mexico City, Mexico · August · World Athletics Label
Why people love it
- Loud crowds on Reforma offer food and drink, per runners.
- Finish in the Zócalo, in the historic centre of a major world city.
- Free shuttles run to the Olympic stadium start from around the city.
- Plenty of water and sports drink; water comes in small pouches.
- Boston qualifier.
Watch out for
- Altitude of 2,240 m (7,350 ft): start slowly and expect slower times than at sea level.
- One 2024 runner reported about 5 km (3.1 mi) of cobbles and tight turns.
- Information is mostly in Spanish; one runner found expo signs and bus advice confusing.
- Registration reportedly sold out in hours in 2025; sign up the day it opens.
- Few athletes have written about the run, so details may change.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Very tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
One RaceRaves runner gave 3 of 5 but called the crowd incredible. Other coverage is press, so first-hand evidence is thin. · Low confidence
- OrganizationAdequate3.1
Free shuttles and plentiful aid worked, but one 2024 runner found communication poor for non-Spanish speakers, wrong bus information and unenforced corrals. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable2.8
Altitude of 2,240 m (7,350 ft), a rolling profile and crowded corrals make it hard for a first marathon. Cutoff not confirmed. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialSlow1.8
At 2,240 m (7,350 ft), thin air slows most runners; the 2021 winners ran 2:14:51 (men) and 2:27:00 (women). · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful4.0
Passes the Angel of Independence, Reforma, Chapultepec Park and the Palace of Fine Arts, ending in the Zócalo. Mostly press accounts. · Low confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.0
Tight turns narrowed to one lane in places, and runners from slower corrals jumped ahead, causing weaving until about 32 km (20 mi). · Low confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.0
One runner reported about 5 km (3.1 mi) of cobblestones; other sources describe hard pavement and wide avenues. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed3.9
Press lists road closures from 5:45 am. No runner reports of traffic problems, but no detail on closures. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling2.8
Rolling. Gain is quoted as 520 m (1,706 ft) on one profile and 109 m (358 ft) on another, so the real figure is unclear. · Low confidence
- Net downhillEven3.4
Point-to-point with a slight net drop: one listing shows 152 m (499 ft) of descent against 109 m (358 ft) of climb. Boston qualifier. · Low confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSome waiting3.2
Free shuttles ran to the stadium start but not for bag check. The 06:20 start is before sunrise and corral order was not enforced. · Low confidence
- Pacers and timingSome pace groups3.0
No direct evidence on pace groups. Unverified corral times undermined wave order. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportStrong4.4
One reviewer called the crowd incredible, with spectators offering food and drink. Press says Reforma is the loudest stretch. · Medium confidence
- Aid stationsGood3.8
Plentiful water and sports drink, water in small pouches, and only one gel station reported by a 2024 runner. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindMostly calm3.8
No wind complaints found. Mostly sheltered city avenues. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant3.6
Starts at 8 to 12 °C (46 to 54 °F), rising to 23 to 28 °C (73 to 82 °F) in humid rainy season. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
August is rainy season. Afternoon storms are common and mornings are usually clearer. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy3.7
Point-to-point on central avenues with metro access. The start is hard to reach; Reforma and the Zócalo finish are easy. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeHigh altitude1.0
About 2,240 m (7,350 ft) above sea level, well over 1,500 m (4,900 ft). · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityGood4.3
One of the world's largest hotel markets, with many options in Centro, Roma, Condesa and Reforma. · Medium confidence
- Hotel valueGood4.0
Central areas are generally good value by international standards. No race-weekend rates found. · Low confidence
- WalkabilitySome driving3.3
The Olympic stadium start is about 13 km (8 mi) south of the finish, so you need the free shuttle or metro. · Low confidence
- Travel easeEasy3.8
A large international airport sits about 13 km (8 mi) from the centre. Long-haul but well served. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSome complexity2.9
Expo signs were poor and bus information was wrong for one runner. Information is mostly in Spanish. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.7
A food and culture city of the first rank, with the Zócalo finish in the historic centre. · Medium confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inRegister early2.6
Registration for 2025 reportedly sold out within hours, so sign up the day it opens. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyFair3.4
Fee not found. One runner rated the swag 2 of 5 and found no after-party; the medal and free shuttles were noted. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Mexico City, Ciudad de México, Mexico
- Typical month
- August
- Latest or next date
- 31 August 2025
- Organiser
- World Athletics Label
- Field size
- About 25,000 athletes
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- point-to-point
- Start time
- 06:20
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Road, with a roughly 5 km (3.1 mi) cobblestone stretch reported by one 2024 runner
- How to get in
- open
- Sells out
- Yes
- Air temperature
- 10–20 °C (50–68 °F)
- Humidity
- Rainy season (about 65% humidity, around 40% chance of rain in a typical August); mornings are clearer, afternoon storms are common
- Altitude
- 2,240 m (7,350 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Mexico City International (MEX), 13 km (8 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Centro Historico, Roma / Condesa, Reforma
- Booking
- Huge hotel supply in Roma, Condesa, Polanco and the Centro; the finish is in the Zocalo in the historic centre.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (garth.erickson)Raced 2024 · aggregator · Mixed
First-timer rated it 3 of 5. Praised the incredible crowd and plentiful aid, but found communications poor for non-Spanish speakers, corrals unpoliced, about 5 km (3.1 mi) of cobbles and no finish-area party.
“Communication for the race was terrible for non Spanish speakers.”
- Chilango (2021 race report)Raced 2021 · article · Positive
About 13,500 runners started at 6:20 am from the Olympic stadium and finished in the Centro Historico. Crowds were strongest on Reforma; no problems reported. Outlet is promotional in tone.
- Mexico News Daily (2021 race report)Raced 2021 · article · Mixed
More than 15,000 runners lined up in Coyoacan. Winner Dario Castro said altitude and pollution made it hard; Lucy Cheruiyot lowered the women's course record to 2:27:00.
- Run Dream AchieveRaced 2026 · blog · Mixed
Guide-style review: crowds are among the best features, altitude of about 2,240 m (7,350 ft) calls for conservative pacing, and travel to the start, bag drop and return should be planned because taxis are unreliable on closure days.
- Marathon Index (course page)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Mixed
Lists 520 m (1,706 ft) gain, an altitude range of 2,250 to 2,630 m (7,382 to 8,628 ft) and a rolling profile; August is about 20 °C (68 °F) and 65% humidity.
Show 1 more
- Running.COACH event listingRaced 2024 · aggregator · neutral
Describes a Zocalo finish past the Soumaya Museum and Angel of Independence with only 109 m (358 ft) of climbing, which conflicts with other profile pages.
Raced Maratón de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City Marathon)? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
Pages we used for facts and ratings. See how we rate.
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