Madrid Marathon 2027 : the course km by km, race week and travel

Madrid hands out its height early and asks for it back at the end. The start, on the Paseo de la Castellana, is already at 675.7 m, and the road climbs to the course’s highest point, 728.3 m, by km 3.7. From there most of the race runs downhill, through the old centre at halfway, out through the Casa de Campo and over the Manzanares, to the low point at km 36.3. The last 5.8 km then climb 66 m up to Cibeles. A runner who banks time on the long descent and has nothing left for the Paseo del Prado will feel every metre of it.

The course is point to point, from the Castellana in the north of the city to the Paseo de Recoletos in the centre. The kilometres, streets and heights below are measured along the organiser’s 2026 course file, matched to the streets, on Spain’s 5 m national elevation model. The 2027 course map is published only as an image, so check it on the organiser’s site for any change before you plan your pacing.

Km 0 to 3.7: up the Castellana

The start is on the Paseo de la Castellana beside Plaza de San Juan de la Cruz, and the road runs uphill from the gun. The course heads north up the Castellana, loops through Concha Espina and passes the Bernabéu stadium at km 1.8, already 22 m above the start line. Padre Damián and Alberto Alcocer bring it back to the Castellana, and at Plaza de Castilla the two leaning towers of the Puerta de Europa stand at km 3.5. The top, 728.3 m, is at km 3.7. The first 3.7 km climb 52.6 m, so a slow first kilometre split is the course, not the runner.

Km 3.7 to 10: Bravo Murillo and Cuatro Caminos

From Plaza de Castilla the course turns south down Calle de Bravo Murillo to Cuatro Caminos at about km 6.1, falling about 20 m on the way. It then runs east along Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, Joaquín Costa and Francisco Silvela, still losing height gently, to about 682 m by km 9.8.

Km 10 to 16: Goya, Velázquez and Serrano

Doctor Esquerdo, O’Donnell and Alcalá lead into a run of straight streets: Goya, Príncipe de Vergara past Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca, Goya again, Velázquez, Diego de León and Serrano. This stretch is nearly level, between about 674 m and 681 m, with a small rise towards km 15.6.

Km 16 to 21.6: through the old centre to halfway

The course crosses the Castellana on the Enrique de la Mata Gorostizaga bridge at about km 16 and runs through Almagro, Sagasta, Carranza and San Bernardo to the Gran Vía at about km 18.8. Then it goes through Habsburg Madrid: down Preciados and Calle Mayor, past the Plaza Mayor at km 19.8, and along Calle de Bailén past the Royal Palace, with the Almudena cathedral beside it, at km 20.5. Halfway, km 21.1, comes as the course reaches Plaza de España, at 634 m, 94 m below the high point. The square brings a small rise back to 639 m at km 21.6.

Km 21.6 to 28: the steepest drop

The steepest sustained fall of the race comes straight after halfway. Princesa and Marqués de Urquijo lead on to the Paseo de Camoens, Ruperto Chapí and the Avenida de Valladolid, and the road falls 66 m between km 22.3 and km 25.2. It is the easiest place to run too fast, with the climb home still to come. The Paseo de la Florida leads on towards the park.

Km 28 to 34.4: Casa de Campo

The course enters Casa de Campo, Madrid’s big western park, between km 28 and km 32, on the park’s own roads: Paseo de María Teresa, Paseo de los Castaños and Paseo del Robledal. Inside the park it rises from 601 m to 622 m at km 30.2 before falling again. From km 24.5 to km 38 the course never goes above 622 m or below 578 m, so this is rolling ground rather than a hill. The Paseo Puerta del Ángel and the Avenida de Portugal bring it out of the park, and at km 34.4 it reaches the old Puente de Segovia.

Km 34.4 to 36.3: across the Manzanares

The Paseo de la Ermita del Santo leads to the Puente de San Isidro, which carries the course over the Manzanares from about km 35.5. On the far bank, on the Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto, it reaches its lowest point, 578.2 m, at km 36.3.

Km 36.3 to the finish: the climb home

From the low point the course climbs to the finish: 66 m in 5.8 km, about 1.1% on average, in the last 6 km of a marathon. It goes up Calle de Segovia and the Ronda de Segovia, along the Paseo Imperial and the Paseo de las Acacias, and round the Ronda de Valencia and the Ronda de Atocha to Plaza del Emperador Carlos V at about km 40.5. The Paseo del Prado then carries it past the Prado at km 41.3, at 634 m, to the Cibeles fountain at km 41.9, at 642 m. The finish is on the Paseo de Recoletos, between Plaza de Cibeles and Plaza de Colón, at 644 m.

The organiser counts more than 30 cheering points along the course, and the city’s tourist board says almost twenty live rock bands play beside it.

The organiser’s FAQ and 2027 rules are already published. The final instructions and the bib pick-up QR code are emailed on Monday 19 April 2027. If the QR code has not arrived by 21 April, download the registration receipt from the registration manager instead.

The expo and your bib

The Feria del Corredor, the runners’ expo, is at IFEMA, Feria de Madrid, on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 April 2027, from 10:00 to 20:00 without a break. Entry is free and open to the public. Bring the pick-up QR code or the registration receipt, and a DNI, passport or other photo ID. The FAQ allows someone else to collect for you with the receipt or QR code and your photo ID. You get the bib, the official T-shirt and the runner’s bag, which takes about 15 minutes, and the organiser suggests Friday morning or Saturday afternoon to avoid the queues. No bibs are handed out on race day, so the expo is not optional.

Waves and the start

Runners are split into waves by the expected finish time given at entry. Entries made from 18 March 2027 are not guaranteed a personalised bib or a corral matched to their time. The wheelchair and handbike start is at 08:30, and every handbike must be escorted by a conventional bicycle. The organiser still lists the first-wave start time for 2027 as to be determined. The city’s tourist board gives 08:45, and in 2026 the marathon and the half marathon started together at about 08:45, so treat 08:45 as likely but not confirmed. Marathon pacers run targets from under 3 hours to 5 hours, each from the corral that matches its time.

Bag drop

The baggage area is in the finish area, on the Paseo de la Castellana between Hermosilla and Ortega y Gasset. It opens at 07:00 on race day and the marathon bags must be collected by 17:00. Only the official baggage bag, with its numbered sticker, is accepted, and the organiser is not liable for what is in it.

Aid on the course

The marathon has water at km 5, 10.5, 16, 20, 25, 29, 32, 35.8, 38 and 40 and at the finish, and Powerade at km 5, 11, 15, 23, 26.5, 29, 32, 35.8, 38 and 40 and at the finish. There are bananas at km 23, 29 and 38 and at the finish, and an extra gel station at km 30. Every runner also gets a 226ERS fuel bag. The organiser may move these points for operational reasons.

The cut-off

The 2027 rules print a maximum passing time at every kilometre, 9 minutes apart: 10:15 at the start line, 11:45 at km 10, 13:24 at km 21, 14:45 at km 30, 16:15 at km 40 and 16:34:45 at the finish. The FAQ says the event ends at 16:35. Both still list the marathon’s time limit and first start as to be determined, so the table may change once they are set. A runner caught by the closing car can speed up or board the sweep vehicle.