The 59th SCORE Baja 1000 is the first edition held entirely inside Baja California Sur. It starts and finishes in San José del Cabo, on Avenida Centenario. SCORE International's October 3 route announcement puts race week at November 9 to 15. It also says the race's pre- and post-race festivities will take place in town, and it names Plaza Mijares and the Art District as part of the setting.
The race arrives one week after the Día de Muertos festival on Plaza Mijares. Its busiest public day falls on the same Wednesday as the town's main restaurant fundraiser of the fall. The weeks the city has called a slow season now hold a run of events that starts in late October and peaks on November 11.
Why This Edition Lands Differently
Gringo Gazette notes that past editions usually launched from Ensenada. The Cabo-to-Cabo format follows years of lobbying by Los Cabos for a permanent home base.
The Los Cabos city government presented the official route on October 3. It cited about 300 pre-registered teams and an estimated US$35 million in economic activity over race week, spread across Los Cabos, La Paz, Comondú, Mulegé and Loreto. Municipal tourism director Ana Gabriela Navarro González said the race helps strengthen tourism in a season that needs a push. She added that the goal is a permanent event, not a one-off. SCORE's own release gives a slightly different count: more than 250 teams from over 25 U.S. states and 15 countries.
Even the course length varies by source. SCORE publishes 964.66 miles, Gringo Gazette 964.96, and the city rounds it to 965. The differences are small. What matters locally is that both ends of the course sit downtown.
The Run-Up Starts Before the Altars Go Up
Off-road traffic is due weeks before race week. Gringo Gazette reports that course recon, when teams drive the route to scout conditions, can begin as early as October 24. Corridor and East Cape drivers may see more off-road vehicles well before the green flag.
Before that, the San José fire department's "Ritual del Fuego" benefit dinner takes place on October 16 at 6:30 p.m. at Chin's Palmilla. Gringo Gazette lists four courses, a 72-seat cap and tickets at 1,600 pesos. Proceeds go mainly toward expanding the department's vehicle fleet for the growing north zone.
Then come two deadlines on the same Thursday, October 29:
- Racers. SCORE's online registration closes at 9 p.m. PT. In-person registration in Ensenada stays open until 5 p.m. PT on Friday, October 30.
- Día de Muertos contestants. Registration for the altar, Catrina/Catrín and pan de muerto contests closes at 2 p.m. Sign-up is free at the Instituto de la Cultura y las Artes offices, on the second floor of the Casa de la Cultura Profr. Alfredo Green González on calle Álvaro Obregón in Col. Centro. Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and entrants need an INE or passport, proof of address, a CURP and a short description of their entry.
The pan de muerto contest is open to bakers from Los Cabos, aged 18 and over, who use traditional techniques. Prizes are 5,000, 3,000 and 2,000 pesos.
Día de Muertos, One Week Out
The Instituto de la Cultura y las Artes de Los Cabos has scheduled the Festival de Día de Muertos San José del Cabo 2026 for November 1 and 2. The program includes altar, Catrina and Catrín contests, a pan de muerto activity, a talent contest, artistic performances, a film screening and a parade. Peninsular Digital reported on October 5 that the full schedule, with times and venues, had not yet been released. The one fixed date so far is the contest event, set for Monday, November 2, at Plaza Pública Tte. José Antonio Mijares.
Outside the center, Acre in Animas Bajas holds its own Día de Muertos evening on November 2, from 5 to 10 p.m. The program includes a Catrinas parade, a shaman's welcome ritual, live music and special dishes.
The Plaza Mijares contest falls exactly one week before race week opens on Monday, November 9.
Race Week, Day by Day
SCORE publishes its times in Pacific Time. This is the schedule as released:
- Monday, November 9. Race week opens. The SCORE Media Center starts on-site registration in San José del Cabo that afternoon.
- Wednesday, November 11, and Thursday, November 12. Official tech inspection and contingency for every race vehicle run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT each day on Avenida Centenario. SCORE places it at the start/finish area, "located just steps from the Sea of Cortez."
- Friday, November 13. Motorcycles start at 1 a.m. PT. Cars, trucks and UTVs follow at 9 a.m. PT, also from Avenida Centenario.
- Friday into the weekend. Racers have 40 hours to finish and be declared official finishers. Finishers will return to Avenida Centenario through Saturday and into the early part of Sunday.
Leaving town, racers drop into San José Wash for the first dirt section. They exit near race mile 10 and head toward the East Cape, past Cabo Pulmo, La Ribera and Los Barriles. On the way home, the course passes north of Todos Santos and through Pescadero. It then crosses Federal Highway 1 again and returns to San José Wash for what SCORE calls a final 15-mile run to the finish line.
The Wednesday Everything Converges
November 11 is the day to plan around. Contingency runs on Avenida Centenario until 5 p.m. PT. That same evening, from 5 to 9 p.m., A Taste of San José del Cabo returns to Don Sánchez Restaurant, according to its Eventbrite listing. One preview called the date a Tuesday. In 2026, November 11 falls on a Wednesday, which matches the ticket page.
Gringo Gazette's preview lists eight competing kitchens:
- Don Sanchez Los Cabos
- Mestizal
- SAGE baja
- LÍMO Heritage Kitchen by Suelo Sur
- AGAVE Kitchen
- Penca Cocina de Brasa
- Los Tacos Locos and Beer
- Come a Casa
Guests sample all eight dishes and vote. Chef Edgar Román of Don Sanchez hosts, and special guest judge Susie Jimenez picks the Celebrity Chef's Choice award, alongside a People's Choice award. Live and silent auctions offer fishing trips, sunset cruises, golf packages and an entry into the 2027 Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament. Proceeds benefit Refugio Voz Que Clama, a local shelter. When we checked, the Eventbrite page showed tickets at US$108.55.
For downtown, that means a full day of race vehicles parked for inspection near the waterfront, then an evening dinner fundraiser with eight restaurants, two days before the race starts.
What Is Still Unconfirmed
Some details that matter most for daily routines haven't been published yet. Gringo Gazette calls the published course map preliminary. It says specific closure times for each town are usually confirmed only days ahead, with Protección Civil advisories closer to race day. The outlet expects race traffic, support vehicles and temporary closures on the Corridor and around Los Barriles, with the heaviest disruption near San José del Cabo during race week. It also recalls past editions in which organizers and local authorities arranged funding or insurance to repair roads damaged by the race.
The Día de Muertos parade route and full timetable are also still to come. So is the opening date of the Gallery District Art Walk. The Gallery District Association describes it as every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. between November and June, but the association hasn't confirmed a 2026–27 start date. One third-party events calendar lists the season as starting November 4, 2026. That date is a Wednesday, so it doesn't fit the Thursday schedule.
City officials have said they want Cabo-to-Cabo to return every year. If it does, these first two weeks of November will repeat each year, with Plaza Mijares in the first week and Avenida Centenario in the second.
If you own near Avenida Centenario or the historic center, or are considering a home there, Request Private Access through CaboLuv. We'll share closure advisories and race-week updates as they're confirmed.