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 the headline facts: the 59th SCORE Baja 1000 runs November 9–15, 2026, with Los Cabos (San José del Cabo) hosting both the start and the finish. That's a first — the Baja 1000 has traditionally started or finished in Ensenada, near the US border in the northern state of Baja California. For 2026, the entire race stays in Baja California Sur.
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.
What isn't confirmed yet
As of this writing, SCORE hasn't published the official route bulletin — the specific checkpoints, mileage breakdown, and road closure schedule that spectators and residents actually need. If you're planning to watch the race or you're worried about a closure affecting your own travel around BCS that week, check SCORE International's own site closer to race week rather than relying on early route rumors — they change.
Why This Matters If You're Headed to La Paz
La Paz is roughly 2 to 2.5 hours by road from Los Cabos. In past years, when the Baja 1000 route ran up toward Ensenada, that distance meant race week and a La Paz trip were mostly unrelated events happening in the same country. In 2026, with the entire race contained inside Baja California Sur, that's less true — if you're coming down for the race, you're already in the same state where La Paz's marine wildlife season is running at the same time.
"Race week wraps November 15 — the exact day Whale Shark season opens in La Paz Bay."
That's not a coincidence we're claiming SCORE planned around us — it's just a real overlap in the calendar. Whale Shark season in La Paz runs November through April, and November 15 is the season-opening date every year. If your Baja 1000 trip has you in the state through the middle of November anyway, adding a day on the water in La Paz doesn't require a second trip.
Planning Around Race Week
What we'd actually suggest, given what's confirmed today
- Book your La Paz dates with some flexibility until SCORE publishes the official route — if you want to watch the race itself, your schedule may depend on checkpoint timing that isn't public yet.
- Whale Shark season opens November 15, the same day race week ends — that's the earliest date to book a tour for that trip, not before.
- Give yourself the 2–2.5 hour drive time between Los Cabos and La Paz if you're doing both — it's a real drive, not a quick hop, even without factoring in any race-related road activity.
We'll update this post once SCORE's official route bulletin is public and we can confirm whether the course passes near La Paz directly. Until then, treat the state-wide, single-region format as the real, confirmed story — not the exact road closures, which aren't ours to guess at.
In Baja Sur for Race Week?
Whale Shark Season Opens the Same Week.
Max 10 guests, marine biologist guides, La Paz Bay. Season opens November 15 — the same week the 2026 Baja 1000 wraps up.
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