Running Calendar: Races in Mexico 2026
Signing up for a race is a great excuse to visit new trails, cities, or countries! It also gives you a goal so your workouts feel more intentional. But most importantly, races invite new adventure into your life. Signing up for a race in a U.S. state that was never on my radar to even visit is actually what led me to meet the love of my life and current partner, Bryan.
Long story short, in February 2021, I was living in Chicago, Illinois, and was craving a challenge and a little sunshine, so I looked up races in warmer places that I’ve never visited before. This led me to a race in Tucson, AZ. At that time, I had never been to the Sonoran Desert or the American Southwest; the closest would be San Diego, California, but that is much different than Arizona. On that trip, I met my current partner, and a year later I moved to Tucson permanently. I lived there for 3.5 years before moving to Mexico. It’s wild to think that a chance race affected my life so much.
Taken right after Bryan completed his first half-marathon and I completed the full in Tucson, AZ 2022.
When I moved to Mexico City in 2025, I was training for the Mexico City Marathon. Some of my training before the race included runs in the beautiful and vast Chapultepec Forest in the heart of Mexico City. I completed the Mexico City Marathon the weekend before starting graduate school at the National Institute of Public Health - Mexico. Running the marathon was such a beautiful reintroduction to my country of origin. After completing my first year of graduate school and a few smaller local races, I am ready for my next challenge, and maybe you are too!
Here is a link to a well-organized running calendar for races in Mexico in 2026 that you can sign up for.
I signed up for CARRERA HESTIA 16 K — 2026 DOMINGO 23 DE AGOSTO DE 2026 · 6:30 AM · CICLOPISTA RÍO MAYO, CUERNAVACA. They have multiple distance options, but I opted for the 16K because I plan on signing up for a longer, more technical race in October. Also, this race is located in the city where I’m currently living. The longer race I plan to run is in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Chihuahua is actually the state I was born in and have a lot of extended family there. The Tarahumara tribe are frequent participants of the race since it takes place in the Sierra Madre, their ancestral lands. I think signing up for this race is a great way to honor the land I was born in, connect with my extended family, and view my home state through the magic of running.
Here’s the link. Many distances are available!
I am between the 20 KM and the 38 KM distances. I’ve never run in Chihuahua, but running a few ultra-marathons in Arizona has taught me a lot about trail running in the desert. It’s not about my pace; it’s about not falling down a cliff onto a cactus and, of course, enjoying the view.
I will keep you posted on which race I sign up for on this blog, and I frequently post running updates while training for a race on my Instagram. Give me a follow!
Running is a beautiful solitary sport that can help clear your mind and ground you. When you sign up for a race, you flip the script and turn this solitary sport into a collective experience where you can connect with other runners who have dedicated their time and energy to achieve the same goal as you. That is community. Signing up for a race leads to exploration, connection with different lands, and it may even lead you to find the love of your life.
Running has helped my physical and mental health, helped me find my partner, and has welcomed me back to my country of origin. In a few months, running will reconnect me with the Northern Mexican state I was born in. I cannot wait!
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