Preparation guide · Zurich Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Madrid
Madrid Marathon 2027: split times, hills, aid stations and how to run it
The next edition is on Sunday 25 April 2027, starting in Madrid (Paseo de la Castellana, Spain) at 8:45. Here you have the Madrid Marathon route, split times for your target, what's at each aid station, how many gels to carry and the usual weather.
Madrid Marathon: route and profile
Official 2026 route (organisers' GPX). Wave starts from 8:45 on Paseo de la Castellana (San Juan de la Cruz); finish on Recoletos, between Cibeles and Colón. The 2027 time limit hasn't been published yet.
Climbs and descents
Sections of at least 400 m with a grade over 1.5 %, and how much a typical runner's pace changes at the same effort. Run by feel (or heart rate), not by watch pace.
| Section | Grade | At the same effort |
|---|---|---|
| km 0.6–3.5 | 1.6 % | +14 s/km |
| km 5.0–7.1 | -1.6 % | -12 s/km |
| km 17.7–18.7 | -2.0 % | -14 s/km |
| km 21.3–22.1 | 2.4 % | +22 s/km |
| km 22.3–24.2 | -3.5 % | -22 s/km |
| km 26.5–27.6 | 1.8 % | +16 s/km |
| km 33.3–34.2 | -3.4 % | -21 s/km |
| km 36.5–37.7 | 1.8 % | +17 s/km |
| km 39.1–40.3 | 2.3 % | +21 s/km |
Route keys
- It's not a PB course: it has about 210 m of elevation gain, with the first 4 km climbing up the Castellana and the finish uphill too. Run by effort, not pace: you'll lose 15–20 s/km on the climbs and get it back on the descents.
- From km 22 to 24 you drop about 65 m towards the Manzanares and the Casa de Campo, the longest descent of the day. Let it flow with short steps and don't brake: if you hammer it, your quads will make you pay in the last 10 km.
- The Casa de Campo (km 25 to 33) is rolling, with few spectators and a long gentle climb up to km 30, where the gel point is. It's the toughest section mentally: get there with your fuelling done and find a group.
- The finish climbs about 70 m from Madrid Río to Recoletos, with two clear ramps (km 36.5–37.7 and km 39–40.3). It's where the most time is lost: if you've run by effort, you'll overtake a lot of people here.
6 more keys in WinWatts: with the forecast for the days before, the wind and heat, and your split times at your pace.
Split times
At the same effort: a bit slower on the climbs and faster on the descents, as each section's average pace shows, with the clock time counted from the 08:45 gun. If you start from a later corral or wave, add the time it takes you to cross the start. Write yours down or wear them on a pace band: watch GPS usually reads long.
| Point | 3 h | 3 h 30 | 4 h | 4 h 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:16 /km | 4:59 /km | 5:41 /km | 6:24 /km |
| km 5 | 0:21:49 9:06 | 0:25:27 9:10 | 0:29:05 9:14 | 0:32:43 9:17 |
| km 10 | 0:42:43 9:27 | 0:49:50 9:34 | 0:56:57 9:41 | 1:04:05 9:49 |
| km 15 | 1:03:54 9:48 | 1:14:34 9:59 | 1:25:13 10:10 | 1:35:52 10:20 |
| km 20 | 1:24:58 10:09 | 1:39:07 10:24 | 1:53:17 10:38 | 2:07:27 10:52 |
| Halfway | 1:29:29 10:14 | 1:44:24 10:29 | 1:59:19 10:44 | 2:14:14 10:59 |
| km 25 | 1:45:45 10:30 | 2:03:23 10:48 | 2:21:00 11:06 | 2:38:38 11:23 |
| km 30 | 2:07:35 10:52 | 2:28:50 11:13 | 2:50:06 11:35 | 3:11:22 11:56 |
| km 35 | 2:28:25 11:13 | 2:53:10 11:38 | 3:17:54 12:02 | 3:42:38 12:27 |
| km 40 | 2:50:20 11:35 | 3:18:43 12:03 | 3:47:06 12:32 | 4:15:29 13:00 |
| Finish | 3:00:00 11:45 | 3:30:00 12:15 | 4:00:00 12:45 | 4:30:00 13:15 |
Aid stations: what's there and how much to drink
For a typical runner finishing in about 3 h 30: sip without stopping and take each gel just before an aid station, to wash it down with water. The organisers hand out gels at km 30: if they match your plan, those are gels you don't need to carry.
| Where | What's there | Time (for 3 h 30) | You |
|---|---|---|---|
| km 5.0 | water, sports drink | 9:10 | ~200 ml |
| km 10.5 | water | 9:37 | ~200 ml · gel just before |
| km 11.0 | sports drink | 9:40 | ~100 ml |
| km 15.0 | sports drink | 9:59 | ~150 ml · gel just before |
| km 16.0 | water | 10:04 | ~100 ml |
| km 20.0 | water | 10:24 | ~150 ml |
| km 23.0 | sports drink, fruit | 10:39 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 25.0 | water | 10:48 | ~100 ml |
| km 26.5 | sports drink | 10:55 | ~100 ml |
| km 29.0 | water, sports drink, fruit | 11:08 | ~100 ml · gel just before |
| km 30.0 | organiser gels | 11:13 | no gel due here |
| km 32.0 | water, sports drink | 11:23 | ~100 ml |
| km 35.8 | water, sports drink | 11:42 | ~150 ml · gel just before |
| km 38.0 | water, sports drink, fruit | 11:53 | ~100 ml |
| km 40.0 | water, sports drink | 12:04 | ~100 ml |
How many gels and how much to drink
What a typical runner (68 kg) needs depending on their time, with 35 g gels. When running the stomach tolerates less than on the bike: more than 60 g of carbs per hour only if you've trained it. Gels alone don't reach that figure (the first one comes around 45 minutes and none are due in the last half hour): the rest comes from drinking sports drink instead of water at a few aid stations.
| Time | Carbs per hour | Gels | Total drink | Sodium per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 h | 60 g/h | 4 × 35 g | 1.5 l | 300 mg/h |
| 3 h 30 | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 1.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h | 60 g/h | 5 × 35 g | 2.0 l | 300 mg/h |
| 4 h 30 | 60 g/h | 6 × 35 g | 2.7 l | 450 mg/h |
Nothing new on race day: gels, breakfast, shoes and socks, all tested on your long runs. Vaseline on your feet, groin and armpits, and protect your nipples. If it's cold at the start, wait in your corral in old clothes you can throw away.
Madrid Marathon: weather in late April
What the weather was like during the race (from 8:45 to the finish of a 3:30 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5 ºC | 13 ºC | 0.0 mm | 10 km/h |
| 2023 | 9 ºC | 18 ºC | 0.0 mm | 10 km/h |
| 2024 | 4 ºC | 13 ºC | 0.1 mm | 7 km/h |
| 2025 | 7 ºC | 15 ºC | 0.0 mm | 12 km/h |
| 2026 | 14 ºC | 21 ºC | 0.0 mm | 9 km/h |
When running, heat slows you down: allow roughly 2 % more time for every 5 ºC above 12 ºC.
Your Madrid Marathon, tailored to you
This guide uses a typical runner. In WinWatts we calculate it with your data:
- Your time, your pace and your split times from your threshold pace and the expected heat.
- The race-day forecast, and what to wear at the start and during the race.
- How much to drink at each aid station and where to take each gel, with your own gels.
- Your training plan until Sunday 25 April 2027, adjusted every week to how you're doing.
WinWatts is not affiliated with the organisers of the Madrid Marathon. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Route measured on the official 2026 GPX; aid stations from the FAQ on the official website (2027 edition); weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.