Higüey 5K Race at the Altagracia Basilica on 15 November

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · RUNNING

The Higüey 5K, officially the 5K Camino a la Altagracia, is a road race at the Altagracia Basilica on Sunday 15 November 2026. The listing gives a 7:00 a.m. start, which is 6:00 a.m. in New York.

Entry starts at RD$1,700 (about US$28) on SDC Tickets, an online registration site run by the Dominican organiser Santo Domingo Corre. Tourism listings name Higüey as the municipality of the Bávaro and Punta Cana resorts, so the Higüey 5K sits close to a beach holiday.

What the Race Is and Why It Matters

The Higüey 5K carries the name Road to Altagracia, and it is tied to the Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in Higüey. The Dominican Ministry of Tourism lists the Basilica among the country’s cultural attractions, next to the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo.

Our Lady of Altagracia is the patron saint of the Dominican Republic, and the tourism ministry’s holiday list marks her day on 21 January. Our guide to the 21 January holiday explains how the country celebrates it.

For a US visitor, the Higüey 5K is about 3.1 miles, a distance that casual runners and fast walkers can manage. The sign-up form asks for an estimated finish time, so slower entrants are expected.

Races like this are a way to see a Dominican town with locals rather than from a tour bus. Our explainer on religion in the Dominican Republic gives the wider background to the Basilica.

Date, Start Time and Venue

The Higüey 5K takes place on Sunday 15 November 2026, and the SDC Tickets listing gives a 7:00 a.m. start. The Dominican Republic does not change its clocks, so from 1 November it runs one hour ahead of New York.

SDC Tickets names the Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in Higüey as the place. The listing shows no separate start line, finish line or route map, so ask the organiser before race day.

Higüey lies in La Altagracia province, which the tourism ministry’s resort addresses also give for Bávaro and Punta Cana. Our Punta Cana city page explains the resort area.

Visitors flying in from the US can check which airlines serve the region in our guide to Dominican winter flights. We found no transport plan, parking advice or road-closure notice for race morning.

Book a taxi or a driver through your hotel for the early start, and agree the return trip in advance. Allow extra time to find the start, because the listing gives no meeting point.

How to Register for the Higüey 5K and What It Costs

SDC Tickets lists the Higüey 5K from RD$1,700 (about US$28), converted at 60.96 pesos per US dollar on 31 October 2026. The listing says from, and we saw no other category or fee, so check the total at checkout.

SDC Tickets calls itself a division of Santo Domingo Corre, SRL, an online platform for running, cycling and triathlon sign-ups. Its form asks whether you are Dominican, your nationality, name, gender, birth date, ID number, phone, country and city.

The form also asks for a T-shirt size, which it says depends on availability, and an estimated finish time. It asks for an emergency contact too, and one order can cover up to ten people.

Card payments run through AZUL, a payment processor named in the platform’s terms. If an event is cancelled, the terms say a refund, a new date or a place next year depends on the organiser’s policy.

The terms also say entering is voluntary and that runners accept the risk of injury, so check your own health and travel insurance. Questions go to [email protected], the contact address on the site.

Entry Rules for US Visitors to the Higüey 5K

The Dominican Republic asks every passenger on a commercial flight, foreign or Dominican, to complete the free eTicket entry and exit form. You can fill it in once you have flight details, but before you reach the airline counter.

A family can use one form for up to seven people, and the system issues a QR code you can print or screenshot. Foreign visitors must hold a round-trip air ticket, and residents are exempt, says the tourism ministry.

Stays beyond 30 days bring an extra fee when you leave, set on a sliding scale by length of stay. The US$20 departure tax is already in your airline ticket.

From Tuesday 3 November, every US-bound passenger must also sign a US health statement about the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a different country. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order runs to Friday 18 December 2026, so it covers your flight home.

Read our safety guide for the Dominican Republic before you travel. It explains the crime risks that visitors face and how to reduce them.

Tips for Higüey 5K Race Morning

Carry water, a hat and sun protection, because the race starts at 7:00 a.m. in a hot, humid country. Wear shoes you have already run in, and avoid anything new on race day.

Before the Higüey 5K, take a photocopy or phone photo of your passport rather than the original, and keep your hotel address on you. Bring a little cash in pesos for water, snacks and a taxi back.

The Basilica is a place of worship, so check its visiting rules before you go inside after the race. Our Santo Domingo city page covers the capital if you want to combine the race with a city stay.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

We have not reached the organiser, and the listing names none beyond the SDC Tickets platform. It also gives no route, no start and finish layout, no kit pick-up, no sign-up deadline and no age groups.

The listing does not say whether the race has a time limit, timing chips, prizes or a finisher medal. The form asks for an ID number, and it is unknown whether foreign runners enter a passport number.

The price may change before race day, and the listing shows no US dollar price. The State Department’s Dominican Republic advisory page did not open for us on 1 November, so check it before you book.

More: Dominican Republic news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Higüey 5K?

It starts at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday 15 November 2026 at the Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in Higüey. That is 6:00 a.m. in New York.

How much does the 5K Camino a la Altagracia cost?

SDC Tickets lists entry from RD$1,700 (about US$28). The listing shows no other category or fee, so check the checkout total.

Do US visitors need anything special to enter the Dominican Republic for the race?

Everyone on a commercial flight must complete the free eTicket form before check-in. US-bound flights from 3 November also need a signed US health statement.

Sources: SDC Tickets, event page: 5K Camino a la Altagracia 2026 (place, start time, price from RD$1,700, about US$28), read 1 November 2026; SDC Tickets, registration form and terms for the 5K Camino a la Altagracia 2026 (fields, payment, cancellations, risk waiver), read 1 November 2026; SDC Tickets, home page (about the platform, event list), read 1 November 2026; Dominican Ministry of Tourism, Entry Requirements (eTicket, round-trip ticket, stays beyond 30 days, departure tax, holidays), read 1 November 2026; Dominican Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Attractions and Sightseeing (Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia in Higüey), read 1 November 2026; US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Notice and Amended Order on attestation for all persons arriving in the United States by aircraft (signed 28 October 2026), 28 October 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief