Run the Border at Dawn on the Binational Course
The most vivid way to spend Day of Race in Tijuana is on foot, in the far right lane of Interstate 5, crossing from the United States into Mexico while the sun comes up over the Tijuana River Valley. The 2026 Binational Race is a cross-border running event with three distances: a 13.1-mile half marathon, a new 12K, and a 10K. The half marathon and the 12K start at Las Americas Premium Outlets in San Ysidro, California, thread through the Tijuana River Valley, and cross the international border on foot via the San Ysidro–El Chaparral port of entry. The 10K is run entirely in Tijuana. All three distances finish at the Faro de Playas de Tijuana, the lighthouse on the Pacific coast.
- Choose your distance: half marathon, 12K, or 10K.
- Half marathon and 12K: start at Las Americas Premium Outlets, San Ysidro, California.
- 10K: entirely within Tijuana.
- All finishes: Faro de Playas de Tijuana.
- Carry a passport, Global Entry, or SENTRI card — you will present it at U.S. Customs when entering or returning to the United States.
Finish at the Lighthouse in Playas de Tijuana
The Faro de Playas de Tijuana anchors the finish line for every distance, which makes the coast the natural place to spend the hours after your race. This is where the running field, their families, and the city's own spectators converge, and where the Pacific gives the day its backdrop. Build your afternoon around the lighthouse and the beachfront around it rather than trying to be everywhere at once.
- Plan to arrive at the Faro de Playas de Tijuana for the finish and stay for the post-race gathering.
- Treat the coast as your base for the rest of the day — you are already there.
Cross on Foot, Then Keep the Day Moving
The border crossing is not a formality here; it is the centerpiece. Running through the San Ysidro–El Chaparral port of entry and into Tijuana puts you inside the binational character of the day in a way no spectator can replicate. Because the half marathon and 12K begin in California and end in Mexico, your race day is also a border-crossing day — plan your documents and your timing around that.
- Passport, Global Entry, or SENTRI card is required for U.S. Customs.
- Expect the crossing to be part of the route itself, not a separate step.
Make a Day of It in Tijuana
With the 10K run entirely in Tijuana and all three races finishing at the Faro de Playas de Tijuana, the city is the stage for the whole event. Pair your race with time in the city before or after — the day is built around movement through Tijuana, from the river valley to the coast.
- Run the 10K if you want a course that stays within Tijuana from start to finish.
- Stay on after the finish at the lighthouse to let the coastal end of the city be your last impression.
Entries for the 2026 Binational Race cover the half marathon, the 12K, and the 10K, and the finish at the Faro de Playas de Tijuana is the same for all three. Decide which distance suits you, confirm your passport, Global Entry, or SENTRI card is current, and start planning your race day around a run that begins in California and ends on the Tijuana coast.