The 59th SCORE Baja 1000 runs November 9–15, 2026 — and for the first time in the race's 58-year history, it starts and finishes in Los Cabos and stays entirely within Baja California Sur, rather than crossing north into the state of Baja California. If you're already planning a November trip to BCS, here's what's actually confirmed so far, and why the timing happens to line up with something else worth knowing about.
What's Confirmed for 2026
SCORE International and the Los Cabos municipal government have confirmed it, with San José del Cabo hosting both the start and the finish. The Baja 1000 has traditionally started or finished in Ensenada, near the US border in the northern state of Baja California.
Local officials have projected somewhere in the range of $35–40 million USD in direct economic impact to the region from hosting the race, and SCORE has said the change involves coordination across multiple BCS municipalities. It's genuinely a bigger deal for the state than a typical edition passing through.
The 2026 Route: Cabo to Cabo, Through La Paz
On October 3, 2026, organizers presented the preliminary route: a loop of about 965 miles (1,553 km) that leaves Los Cabos, heads north through Los Barriles, Los Planes and La Paz, continues to San Juan de la Costa, Ciudad Insurgentes, Loreto, San Javier, La Purísima, Puerto San Carlos, Santa Rita, Puerto Chale and Todos Santos, and returns to Los Cabos for the finish.
Key dates
- October 24: official pre-running of the course opens.
- November 9: race week and team registration begin in Los Cabos.
- November 11–12: technical inspection and contingency.
- November 13: racing starts, motorcycles first (local reports), with a 40-hour limit to finish.
- November 15: race week wraps up.
The route is preliminary and can still change before final approval. Before you plan around a road or checkpoint, check SCORE International.
Why This Matters If You're Headed to La Paz
La Paz is roughly 2 to 2.5 hours by road from Los Cabos, and for 2026 it's on the race route itself. If you're coming down for the race, you're already in the right place for some of the best marine wildlife in Mexico.
"Race week wraps November 15 — the day we're targeting to start whale shark season in La Paz Bay."
That's a real overlap in the calendar, not something SCORE planned around us. The Hook's target start date for the 2026–27 whale shark season is November 15; the official opening depends on CONANP's shark counts, and we'll confirm as soon as it's set.
The Best Way to See La Paz in One Day: The Grand Slam
If you have one day in La Paz around race week, make it the Grand Slam: our signature tour puts the three best things in La Paz Bay into a single 7-hour trip.
The Grand Slam, in one 7-hour tour
- Whale sharks in La Paz Bay (November–April).
- The San Rafaelito sea lion colony.
- Playa Balandra, Mexico's most famous beach, by boat.
Max 10 guests, marine biologist guide, from $3,999 MXN per person. See the Grand Slam or book it now.
Planning Around Race Week
What we'd suggest
- Expect race traffic from late October, when teams start pre-running the course around Baja California Sur.
- Book the Grand Slam for November 15 or later, after racing, when the whale shark season is set to start.
- Give yourself the 2–2.5 hour drive between Los Cabos and La Paz, plus extra time for race-related road activity.
In Baja Sur for Race Week?
Do the Grand Slam.
Whale sharks, sea lions and Balandra Beach in one 7-hour tour. Max 10 guests, from November 15.
Book the Grand Slam → WhatsApp Us →