Preparation guide · Zurich Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Madrid
Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Half 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 Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Half Marathon route, split times for your target, what's at each aid station, how many gels to carry and the usual weather.
Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Half Marathon: route and profile
Official 2026 route (organisers' GPX). Start together with the marathon, in waves from 8:45 on the Castellana (San Juan de la Cruz); finish on Recoletos, between Cibeles and Colón.
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 % | +15 s/km |
| km 5.0–7.1 | -1.6 % | -11 s/km |
| km 17.7–18.7 | -2.0 % | -13 s/km |
| km 19.8–20.4 | -2.9 % | -17 s/km |
Route keys
- It starts uphill: from km 0 to 4 you climb about 45 m up the Castellana to Plaza de Castilla, alongside the marathon runners. Start by effort, not pace: reaching the top in the red costs you in the second half.
- From km 5 to 7 you run down Bravo Murillo to Cuatro Caminos and Raimundo Fernández Villaverde; then, along Joaquín Costa and Francisco Silvela, it's almost flat to Manuel Becerra (km 10). This is where you settle into your pace.
- From km 10 to 18 (O'Donnell, Goya, Velázquez, Serrano, Almagro and Sagasta) the road gently rises and falls: hold your effort, not the pace on your watch. At km 18 you split from the marathon and the last 3 km drop about 20 m to the finish: time to push.
- Water and Powerade aren't always at the same point: water and sports drink at km 5, water at 10.5, 16 and 20, and sports drink at 11 and 15. There are no gels on the half (the organisers' gels are at km 30 of the marathon): carry your own.
3 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 an even pace (the profile hardly changes anything), 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 | 1 h 30 | 1 h 45 | 2 h | 2 h 15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average pace | 4:16 /km | 4:59 /km | 5:41 /km | 6:24 /km |
| km 5 | 0:21:53 9:06 | 0:25:32 9:10 | 0:29:11 9:14 | 0:32:50 9:17 |
| km 10 | 0:42:52 9:27 | 0:50:00 9:35 | 0:57:09 9:42 | 1:04:18 9:49 |
| km 15 | 1:04:07 9:49 | 1:14:49 9:59 | 1:25:30 10:10 | 1:36:11 10:21 |
| km 20 | 1:25:20 10:10 | 1:39:33 10:24 | 1:53:46 10:38 | 2:08:00 10:53 |
| Finish | 1:30:00 10:15 | 1:45:00 10:30 | 2:00:00 10:45 | 2:15:00 11:00 |
Aid stations: what's there and how much to drink
For a typical runner finishing in about 1 h 45: sip without stopping and take each gel just before an aid station, to wash it down with water.
| Where | What's there | Time (for 1 h 45) | 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 | 10:00 | ~150 ml · gel just before |
| km 16.0 | water | 10:04 | ~100 ml |
| km 20.0 | water | 10:24 | ~150 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 h 30 | 60 g/h | 1 × 35 g | 0.8 l | 300 mg/h |
| 1 h 45 | 60 g/h | 2 × 35 g | 0.9 l | 300 mg/h |
| 2 h | 60 g/h | 2 × 35 g | 1.0 l | 300 mg/h |
| 2 h 15 | 60 g/h | 2 × 35 g | 1.1 l | 300 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.
Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Half Marathon: weather in late April
What the weather was like during the race (from 8:45 to the finish of a 1:52 runner) in recent editions:
| Year | Low | High | Rain | Max wind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5 ºC | 10 ºC | 0.0 mm | 10 km/h |
| 2023 | 9 ºC | 14 ºC | 0.0 mm | 8 km/h |
| 2024 | 4 ºC | 9 ºC | 0.0 mm | 7 km/h |
| 2025 | 7 ºC | 11 ºC | 0.0 mm | 8 km/h |
| 2026 | 14 ºC | 17 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 Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Half 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 Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Half Marathon. Dates, routes, schedules and registration: official website. Route measured on the official 2026 GPX (organisers' Wikiloc account); aid stations from the FAQ on the official website (2027 edition), shared with the marathon up to km 18; weather from past editions (Open-Meteo). For guidance only: it doesn't replace advice from a health professional.