PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONMX / RACE GUIDE

Cancun International Marathon

Name: BQ or Bust 004 Running Cancun
Uploaded: 2016-05-07
Description: This is a night race through Cancún's Hotel Zone. It starts at Malecón Tajamar and finishes back at the same spot. The race starts around sunset, with 10K, half marathon, and full marathon distances.

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Cancún
MX

holachetumal · CC BY 3.0Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFlickr user, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Race date in 52 days: Dec 1, 2026 Tue
City · Distance: Cancún · 42.195km
Entry fee: $55Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenMon, March 30, 2026 ~ Sun, November 29, 2026See how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 10, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This is a night race through Cancún's Hotel Zone.

It starts at Malecón Tajamar and finishes back at the same spot.

The race starts around sunset, with 10K, half marathon, and full marathon distances.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

#CancunInternationalMarathon#Cancn#Overseas Marathon#December Marathon#World certified marathon

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 2

DenisaRan in 2019 · Finish time 2:13

“I actually had to power-walk the last 5km”

Denisa ran the half marathon at the 2019 event that combined the Cancún Marathon with the Rock ’n’ Roll series. Having forgotten her running shoes, she raced in a cheap pair; heat, humidity and limited training forced her to briskly walk the final 5km, but she finished in 2 hours 13 minutes with a new friend and two finisher medal.

Read the original on Run the World

Dicho a la carreraRan in 2016

“I was exhausted, surprised that I had finished, and felt light and empty.”

At the 2016 Cancún Marathon, the writer considered dropping out at 12.5K — the half marathon's turnaround point — because of stomach trouble and the monotonous course. But they kept running through the dark and the rain to complete their fifth full marathon.

Quoted from the original · translated

Original quote

Me sentía cansada, asombrada por haber terminado, liviana, vacía.

Read the original on Dicho a la carrera

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Finisher vlog

Nick Bare · Finisher vlog

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

General entry

Online registration, early bird plan available.

Registration is non-transferable and final and non-refundable regardless of reason.

Original

"Each entry is considered to be non-transferable and final ...

No refund will be made for any reason whatsoever"

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 18:00

Time limit9 hours

Full marathon 9 hours

Event	Time limit	Field size
Marathon42.195km	9h	20

START

Ciclopista Boulevard Kukulcán, Punta Cancún, Hotel Zone, Cancún

Start · Google Maps

FINISH

Malecón Tajamar, Cancún

Finish · Google Maps

Cutoff
Final deadline 9 hours after departure

Original course map · cancun-marathon.com

It's course, which involves several turns on a mostly flat paved road. Departure is around sunrise and is confirmed at the briefing.

The night race starts and finishes at the Malecón Tajamar in Cancún's hotel zone, beginning at sunset.

Field size: 20 runners
World Athletics Label: Label Label
Typical race-season temperature: around 25°C (76°F): Hot race — plan fluids and electrolytes

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Finisher certificate

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2025 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

The 2026 bib/kit pickup location and hours have not been published.
According to the organizer Asdeporte's notice, the event is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, 2026, with an afternoon start.
In line with common practice at Mexican races, pickup in person with valid ID is generally expected (proxy pickup not confirmed).

Centro de Convenciones de Cancún

Thursday & Friday, 10:00–22:00

Google Maps Directions

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startAvenida Bonampak at the corner of Calle Antonio Enriquez Savignac, downtown Cancun (not the Hotel Zone) -…
Transit cardCarry small cash (coins or small bills) for the local R-1/R-2 city buses — there is no card or contactless payment option, so pay the driver directly in exact change.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026 · Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Avenida Bonampak at the corner of Calle Antonio Enriquez Savignac, downtown Cancun (not the Hotel Zone) - served by local IMOVEQROO bus routes R-1/R-2 running along Av. Tulum, a short walk from the start

Map

Transit card

Cancún's local city buses (R-1, R-2, etc., serving downtown and the Hotel Zone) are cash-only. Fare is about 10 MXN for local/downtown routes and 12 MXN for Hotel Zone/Puerto Juárez routes.

Drivers rarely carry change and won't accept large bills; some accept USD but at unfavorable rates. (Separate long-distance ADO buses accept cards at the counter/online.)

Cancun has no metro or rail transit - only local buses (rutas, run by IMOVEQROO) and the ADO regional coach network. There is no rechargeable tourist transit card; bus fares are paid in cash pesos directly to the driver, roughly 12-14 MXN, and exact change is often expected.

From the Hotel Zone, R-1 and R-2 buses run along Blvd. Kukulcan/Av.

Tulum toward downtown near the start; taxis and Uber/Didi ride-hail are common and generally the simplest option for foreign visitors.

Where to buy

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

As a night race starting at sunset in December, pack for warm, humid evening conditions typical of Cancun and plan hydration accordingly.

Times are local to Cancún. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotel Bonampak

Hotel · 894m

9.0/10(238)

View on Booking.com

Cancún: Hip-Hop Session Party Boat Cruise

$108

View on GetYourGuide

Cancun 3-Hour Craft Beer Tasting & Brewery Tour

$127

Cancun International Marathon

About Cancun International Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run