Mazatlán Marathon on 6 December 2026

GUIDES · MAZATLÁN

Mexico’s Pacific resort city runs its 25th marathon along a seafront promenade on the first weekend of December. The race is a Boston qualifier, according to its organiser, and entries are open now.

The Mazatlán Marathon 2026, officially the Gran Maratón Hersa Mazatlán, runs from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December in the Pacific port of Mazatlán, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The full marathon and half marathon start at dawn on Sunday 6 December, and the 5K and 10K run on the evening of Saturday 5 December.

For US runners it is a late-season marathon on a seafront course in a beach city one hour ahead of Los Angeles. It is also a race that needs planning, because the US State Department tells Americans not to travel to Sinaloa state and only makes exceptions for parts of Mazatlán.

What the Race Is and Why It Matters to US Runners

The race is organised by Venados de Mazatlán, the city’s professional baseball club, which publishes the race news and official rules on its own website. The 2026 edition is the 25th, and the club presented it in Mexico City on 20 August with the federal tourism secretary, Josefina Rodríguez Zamora, and the Sinaloa tourism secretary, Mireya Sosa Osuna.

At that presentation, according to Venados, an athletics federation representative handed over the official sanction for the event. The organiser says this makes the 2026 marathon a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon and that runners’ times will be recognised by the federation for international events.

The race pages say the 21K and 42K distances are certified by World Athletics and by the Mexican athletics federation, known by its Spanish initials FMAA. Runners chasing a Boston time should still check the Boston Athletic Association’s own qualifying rules before they rely on a result from any race.

At the presentation the Sinaloa tourism secretary said the race brings together around 8,000 runners. In August the organiser also spoke of about 7,000 participants plus their families, so the final field size is not yet settled.

The route keeps to the Malecón, the long seafront road and promenade that is the city’s best-known landmark. The organiser has published separate route maps for the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon on its marathon page.

Race Weekend Schedule

The weekend opens on Friday 4 December with the sports expo and race-kit pickup in the car park of the Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, from 9:50 am to 8 pm local time. The expo reopens on Saturday 5 December from 8 am to 4 pm, and the organiser says runners must collect their kit before their own race.

Saturday evening belongs to the shorter races on Avenida Leonismo Internacional, in front of the stadium. The adaptive 10K categories start at 5:00 pm local time (7:00 pm ET), the 10K at 5:05 pm (7:05 pm ET) and the 5K at 5:10 pm (7:10 pm ET).

A carbohydrate dinner runs on the same avenue from 5 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, followed by a mascot race at 7:30 pm. The day closes with a light show at the Estadio Teodoro Mariscal at 9 pm local time.

On Sunday 6 December the adaptive half-marathon categories start at 6:00 am local time (8:00 am ET). The marathon follows at 6:05 am (8:05 am ET) and the half marathon at 6:20 am (8:20 am ET).

Mazatlán keeps Mexico’s Pacific time all year, seven hours behind UTC, and the United States will be on standard time by race weekend. That puts the city two hours behind New York and one hour ahead of Los Angeles in early December.

The organiser warns that times and places can change and says updates will go out on its social media channels, by e-mail and at the pre-race briefing. Check the race page in the final week before you set an alarm.

How to Enter and What It Costs

Entries are sold online at emociondeportiva.com and boletomovil.com, the two channels the official race rules name, with payment by Visa or Mastercard. You can also sign up in person at the offices of the Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and on Saturdays from 9 am to 1 pm.

The race rules allow only two entries per credit or debit card, and they say entries cannot be refunded or moved to another event. There are no entries by phone and none on race day, and late entries depend on places being left.

The official race rules set one fee for all four distances, MXN 950 (about US$52) from 1 September to 27 November and MXN 1,050 (about US$58) during the expo. Runners aged 60 and over who show a Mexican voter ID pay MXN 900 (about US$49), at the Banxico FIX rate of 12 October 2026 of MXN 18.25 per US dollar.

To collect a bib you need a copy of an official photo ID, both sides, and the card used for payment if you paid by card. You must also bring the signed liability waiver, printed, and US runners should plan to use a passport as their ID.

Every entrant gets a bib, a commemorative race shirt, a finisher medal, a timing chip and an official time certificate, plus water and isotonic drinks on the route, according to the race rules. Changes of distance are allowed until one week before the race, by e-mail to the organiser with your full name.

How to Watch From the United States

No US broadcaster or streaming service has announced coverage of the race, and the organiser has not said whether it will stream the start or finish. The race is a mass-participation event rather than an elite championship, so most friends and family at home follow results online.

Results from past editions are published on the timing pages linked from the Venados marathon site. For 2026, check the same pages on the morning of Sunday 6 December, when Mazatlán is two hours behind US Eastern time.

Getting There and Getting Around

Mazatlán has an international airport, but we have not confirmed which US routes will operate in early December. Check airlines for direct and connecting flights before you book.

The start and finish are in front of the Estadio Teodoro Mariscal, close to the Malecón. The same car park hosts the expo, so runners can pick up kits and reach the start line without crossing the city.

Mexico does not require a visa from US citizens for a short tourist trip, but you need a valid passport book. Expect roads near the course and the stadium to close early on both race days, and plan your taxi or hotel walk around that.

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Safety and Costs for Visitors

The US State Department advisory for Mexico, issued on 29 May 2026, rates the country overall at Level 2, exercise increased caution. It rates Sinaloa at Level 4, Do Not Travel, because of terrorism and crime.

In Mazatlán, US government employees may travel only by air or sea, and only within the historic centre from Avenida Gutiérrez Nájera to the ocean. They may also use the Malecón coastal road from the historic centre to Route 503 and must take direct routes to and from the airport or the cruise terminal.

Much of the race route uses the Malecón, but the advisory does not mention the race itself. Compare the organiser’s route maps and the stadium location with the advisory before you book, and register with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Venados says it held a logistics and security planning meeting in August with city departments, the volunteer fire brigade, the army’s Third Military Region and the navy’s Fourth Naval Region. The state has seen serious violence this year, including the deadly riot at the Mazatlán prison we reported in October.

Hotel rates on race weekend are not published by the organiser, and we do not estimate them. Book early, because the organiser expects thousands of runners and their families over the three days.

Race weekend falls after the official end of the eastern Pacific hurricane season on 30 November, which lowers but does not remove weather risk. If you are planning more travel in Mexico, our guide to PGA Tour golf in Los Cabos covers another Mexican Pacific sports trip a month earlier.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The final number of runners is open, with the organiser citing both about 7,000 and around 8,000. Hotel rates for race weekend have not been published by the organiser.

No US TV or streaming coverage has been announced, and US flight routes for early December are not confirmed. The organiser also says times and places may still change before race weekend.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Mazatlán Marathon 2026?

The Gran Maratón Hersa Mazatlán runs from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026. The marathon starts at 6:05 am local time (8:05 am ET) on Sunday 6 December, and the 5K and 10K run on Saturday 5 December from 5 pm local time.

How do I enter the Mazatlán Marathon?

Entries are sold at emociondeportiva.com and boletomovil.com and at the Estadio Teodoro Mariscal offices. Entry costs MXN 950 (about US$52) until 27 November, and there are no entries on race day and no refunds.

Is the Mazatlán Marathon a Boston qualifier?

The organiser, Venados de Mazatlán, says the 2026 marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier after it received the sanction of Mexico’s athletics federation. Check the Boston Athletic Association’s own rules before you rely on the result.

Is it safe for Americans to run in Mazatlán?

The State Department rates Sinaloa at Level 4, Do Not Travel, in its advisory of 29 May 2026, with limited exceptions for the historic centre and the Malecón in Mazatlán. Read the advisory and compare it with the race route before you book.

Sources: Venados de Mazatlán marathon page · Venados: 25th edition presentation · Venados: security planning · Official 21K and 42K race rules · Official 5K and 10K race rules · US State Department Mexico travel advisory · Banco de México FIX rate

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