Races

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONMX / RACE GUIDE

Ultra Caballo Blanco

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Urique
MX

Eli Duke · CC BY-SA 2.0Eli Duke from Portland, OR, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0panza.rayada · CC BY-SA 3.0GermanAlmanza · CC BY-SA 3.0Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

Race date in 120 days: Mar 7, 2027 Sun
City · Distance: Urique · 160km · 80km · 42km +1 more events
Entry fee: $125Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenSee how to enter ↗

2027Date Mar 7, 2027 · Entry ~ Mar 1, 2027

2026

2026Date Mar 1, 2026

Official website ↗

Instagram

D-day as of Nov 7, 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 the race from the book Born to Run.

It takes place in Urique, a small town at the bottom of Mexico's Copper Canyon, and centers on a 50-mile ultra run alongside the Rarámuri people.

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.

Stories from runners who've been there.

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

Race reports: 3

Katie HallRan in 2018

“Everyone is so happy; there's just so much love, joy and friendship deep in those canyons.”

They suffered cramps and low sodium in afternoon heat that reached 35°C. The report stresses bringing salt and electrolytes.

Read the original on Fiona Outdoors

Graham KellyRan in 2013

“The place is safe and people incredibly friendly and supportive.”

It covers the drive from El Paso across the border to Urique. They say the heat and a climb where they ran out of water left them exhausted at the end.

Read the original on Westerlands CCC

Juan EscobarRan in 2013 · Finish time 14:49:04

“he told me that it was a "soft cut-off" and he would be here waiting for me”

It details the trip into Urique by train and car from Creel, the steep singletrack and the afternoon heat. It's a report from a runner who finished within the 14-hour limit.

Read the original on Tales of an El Paso Trail Runner

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.

ULTRA MARATÓN CABALLO BLANCO 2024
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

Entry cost $125

Organizer's page

First come, first served

Entry cost TBD

You register by event on UltraSignup.

The 100-mile is already full and the other events are expected to sell out, so it is best to sign up early.

Organizer's page

tour agency

Entry cost TBD

The organizer, True Messages, separately offers all-inclusive packages excluding flights (one week or a long weekend) as well as lodging and transport packages.

Prices appear only in the information PDF.

Organizer's page

Other

Entry cost TBD

Legal residents of Mexico register at the Ciudadanos prices (US$60 for the 21K, US$80 for the 42K, US$100 for the 80K).

These do not apply to international runners.

Mexican residents

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Your 160km

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

From the 2026 edition

Runners start · local timeFrom 6:30

Event	Start	Entry fee
Marathon42km	07:00	$125
Half Marathon21km	08:00	$85
100 Mile160km	10:00	$300
50 Miler (80K)80km	06:30	$150

START · FINISH

Plaza de Urique

Runners start · local time — 50-mile and 80K on Sunday at 6:30 am, marathon on Sunday at 7:00 am, half marathon Saturday at 8:00 am, 100-mile on Saturday at about 9:00 to 10:00 am, starting from Cerocahui (provisional)

Micah True, nicknamed Caballo Blanco, started the race in 2003 to help Rarámuri runners.

Once it appeared in Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, runners around the world knew it by name.

The setting is Urique, a town deep in Copper Canyon.

From Urique, the course strings together out-and-back legs that climb and descend toward the Guadalupe church,

El Naranjo and Los Alisos, so long climbs alternate with stretches along the riverbed.

Most of it runs on dirt and gravel.

Daytime heat and sun are the biggest challenges.

The 50-mile (80K) is the original event;

the marathon came in 2017, the half marathon in 2019 and the 100-mile in 2025.

The Caballitos kids' run takes place the same week, and the whole town turns into a festival.

The race was canceled in 2015 over local security concerns.

It's organized by the municipality of Urique and the US nonprofit True Messages, and entry fees also go toward supporting the Rarámuri community.

In 2026, more than 1,200 runners turned out.

Participant benefits

Medical support

Aid stations

To the start line,
step by step.

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

From the 2026 edition

Bib pickup

The awards and cultural events take place on Sunday evening.
Saturday evening event (provisional)

Plaza de Urique

Google Maps

Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the startUrique (Plaza)

Source · checked Nov 6, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

Urique (Plaza)

Urique sits at the bottom of Copper Canyon; no train reaches the town. Fly to Chihuahua (CUU, about 8.5 h by road) or to Los Mochis (LMM) and ride the Chepe train to Bahuichivo, then about 2 h by road to Urique.

Buses run Chihuahua to Bahuichivo as a backup. Roads are paved to Cerocahui, then about 40 km of dirt that needs 4WD or high clearance.

Map

Getting to the finish

Urique (Plaza)

Same as start.

Map

Source · checked Nov 6, 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.

Urique is a canyon town at the end of rough roads, so sort out your travel first.

The organizers describe two routes: about 8.5 hours by car from Chihuahua Airport (CUU),

or a flight to Los Mochis (LMM), the El Chepe train to Bahuichivo and roughly 2 hours by car from there.

Past Cerocahui, about 40 km of road is unpaved and needs a 4WD or high-clearance vehicle.

Rides from Bahuichivo to Urique dry up by early Friday, so it's safest to arrive by Thursday.

Hotels are few, they fill early in race week, and almost none take online bookings.

There are also guesthouses and camping (Entre Amigos, or by the river), plus an all-inclusive package from True Messages.

Urique has no bank and no ATM, so bring pesos with you.

Mobile data barely works.

The course is marked with flags, stones and tree markings, and you have to collect a wristband on each section.

Aid stations come every 2 to 4 miles with water, fruit, sports drink and pinole.

Beyond fruit and water, it's best to carry your own.

Don't leave without a personal bottle, electrolytes, snacks, sunscreen and a buff.

Daytime temperatures climb from the high 20s to the mid-30s °C, and plenty of runners cramp.

Cutoffs are listed in the final information email to participants, and they can change on site.

If your nationality requires an entry visa, check ahead.

Times are local to Urique. 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.

Hotels that make race morning easyDistances are straight-line from the start.View on map Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on map Seeing Urique with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

Checklist Local eSIM · Trip.com Flight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelp Pace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Ask the runners preparing for this raceWrite a post

Course Bib & expo Getting around Stay

Urique runners' room

MORE RACES.

FAQ

When does Ultra Caballo Blanco 2027 take place?

It takes place on Sun, March 7, 2027 in Urique, Mexico.

How do I register for Ultra Caballo Blanco 2027?

Entry routes: First come, first served · tour agency · Other.

Registration is handled on the official website.

How much is the Ultra Caballo Blanco 2027 entry fee?

The main event costs $125.

What distances does Ultra Caballo Blanco 2027 offer?

Marathon · Half · ultra100mi · ultra50mi. (From the 2026 edition)

Where does Ultra Caballo Blanco 2027 start?

Plaza de Urique. (From the 2026 edition)

What is the Ultra Caballo Blanco 2027 course like?

Micah True, nicknamed Caballo Blanco, started the race in 2003 to help Rarámuri runners.

Once it appeared in Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, runners around the world knew it by name.

The setting is Urique, a town deep in Copper Canyon.

Where does Ultra Caballo Blanco 2027 finish?

Plaza de Urique. (From the 2026 edition)

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Ultra Caballo Blanco

About Ultra Caballo Blanco — 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