Maratón Internacional de Culiacán
The Lowdown
The Maratón Internacional de Culiacán is the annual marathon of Culiacán, capital of the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, held each January since debuting in the early 1990s. The 2027 edition, the 36th (XXXVI), starts at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 17 from in front of Culiacán's H. Ayuntamiento (City Hall) on Avenida Álvaro Obregón, between Juárez and Mariano Escobedo. Alongside the individual 42.195 km marathon, the event offers 21K half marathon, 10K, and 5K distances, with the shorter 5K starting and finishing near the Jardín Botánico. All courses are certified by the Federación Mexicana de Asociaciones de Atletismo (FMAA) and recognized by World Athletics, marked with blue-line international measurement standards, with a 6-hour-30-minute time limit. The 2026 edition (its 35th) drew roughly 4,000 local, national, and international runners, including entrants from Kenya, Costa Rica, Japan, China, and the United States, and organizers expect a similarly large field for 2027. The race is run by the Patronato del Maratón Internacional de Culiacán with support from the Culiacán municipal government, the Instituto Municipal del Deporte de Culiacán (IMDEC), and the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), which fields more than 500 student volunteers. Race week includes a multi-day sports expo with more than 50 activities, and every registered runner is entered into a raffle for a new car; top overall finishers and the top Sinaloan runner earn 25,000 pesos, with a 50,000-peso bonus for breaking the course record of 2 hours 14 minutes. Registration for 2027 is open online through the Márcate platform (marcate.com.mx).
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Excellent spectator turnout
H. Ayuntamiento de Culiacán (start/finish)
Avenida Álvaro Obregón
Jardín Botánico de Culiacán (5K start/finish)
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
MX
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 18 for all four distances (42K, 21K, 10K, 5K)
Required Documents
- Valid photo ID for race-kit pickup
- Signed liability waiver/medical statement at packet pickup
Entry Methods
- Online via the Márcate platform (marcate.com.mx)
Cancellation & Refund Policy
No public refund/cancellation policy is published by the organizer; entry fees should be treated as non-refundable, consistent with most Mexican municipal-backed road races of this scale.
36th edition (XXXVI) in 2027; the race has run annually each January since debuting in the early 1990s, making it one of Sinaloa's longest-running road races.
Organized by the Patronato del Maratón Internacional de Culiacán with support from the Culiacán municipal government, the Instituto Municipal del Deporte de Culiacán (IMDEC), and the Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa (UAS), which supplies more than 500 student volunteers.
Courses are certified by the Federación Mexicana de Asociaciones de Atletismo (FMAA) and recognized by World Athletics (WA), marked with blue-line international measurement standards.
The 2026 (35th) edition drew roughly 4,000 runners including international entrants from Kenya, Costa Rica, Japan, China, and the United States; a multi-day sports expo with 50+ activities runs during race week, and every registered runner is entered into a raffle for a new car.
Community
Stories, tips, and race-day snapshots from runners who have tackled this course.
Community Reviews
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