Marat'hon Mérida
The Lowdown
The Marat'hon Mérida is the flagship road-running event of Mérida, Yucatán, organized by the H. Ayuntamiento de Mérida (Dirección de Bienestar Humano / Subdirección de Deportes) with the Comité Ciudadano and endorsed by Mundo del Atletismo en México. Currently held under Banorte title sponsorship as the 'Marat'hon Mérida Banorte,' the race is timed to the city's founding anniversary and runs every January along a course certified by AIMS and World Athletics. All distances start and finish at the Monumento a la Patria on the Paseo de Montejo, Mérida's grand 20th-century boulevard, before threading through the Centro Histórico. The course is essentially flat, characteristic of the Yucatán Peninsula, and organizers schedule an early-morning (pre-dawn) start to mitigate the region's tropical heat. The event offers a full marathon (42.195 km), half marathon (21.097 km), 10K, and a 3K recreational walk, and has grown into one of southeastern Mexico's largest running events, drawing thousands of national and international entrants plus a total prize purse of nearly one million pesos.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Large field
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Excellent spectator turnout
Boston Qualifier
This race is a certified Boston Marathon qualifying event. Achieve your qualifying standard here on a verified course.
Monumento a la Patria (start/finish)
Paseo de Montejo
Centro Histórico de Mérida
Plaza Grande / Mérida Cathedral vicinity
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
MX
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 18 on race day for Marathon, Half Marathon, and 10K
- Minimum age 6 on race day for the 3K recreational walk
- Runners must compete in the category/distance/gender division they registered for or are disqualified without appeal
Required Documents
- Photo ID (INE, passport, or driver's license) to prove age at registration
- Signed liability waiver ('carta responsiva' / exoneration form) to collect race kit
Entry Methods
- Online registration via marathonmerida.dashport.run
- In-person at listed Mérida points of sale (running/cycling shops, cafés, and the Subdirección de Deportes office)
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Registrations are personal and non-transferable; the organizing committee disclaims responsibility if a third party registers on a runner's behalf. Review the full 2027 convocatoria (official rules PDF) before registering.
Currently sponsored as the 'Marat'hon Mérida Banorte'; organized by the Mérida city government (H. Ayuntamiento de Mérida) rather than a private race operator.
2027 edition coincides with the 485th anniversary of Mérida's founding.
Course certified by AIMS, World Athletics, and Mundo del Atletismo en México; electronic chip timing throughout.
Total prize purse of $949,000 MXN across all distances, including $90,000 MXN each for men's and women's absolute marathon champions, plus a separate 'Mejor Yucateco/Yucateca' bonus prize for the top Yucatán-born finishers.
Wheelchair division offered for the marathon distance (mixed, 18+).
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