The Baja 1000 Comes Home to Los Cabos: Your Guide to Race Week 2026
This Friday, November 13, the most famous off-road race on the planet leaves the line in San José del Cabo. For the first time in its 59 editions, the SCORE Baja 1000 both starts and finishes in Los Cabos, and the entire course stays inside Baja California Sur.
If you live here, own here, or are in town this week, here is what is happening, when to show up, and why it matters beyond the weekend.
What the Baja 1000 is, and why 2026 is different
The Baja 1000 has run since 1967 and is the season finale of the SCORE World Desert Championship. SCORE bills it as the oldest and longest non-stop desert race in the world. Motorcycles, quads, UTVs, buggies and 1,000-plus horsepower Trophy Trucks all run the same course, day and night, without a scheduled stop.
The race has traditionally belonged to Ensenada, with occasional point-to-point runs finishing in La Paz or Cabo. This year is a different animal: a single loop the organizers are calling Cabo to Cabo, with San José del Cabo as both start and finish. SCORE expects more than 250 teams from across the United States, Mexico and a dozen-plus other countries.
It is also a one-year window. SCORE has already announced that the 60th edition in 2027 returns to an Ensenada start, so this week is the chance to see it at home.
Race week schedule
Everything public happens on Boulevard Centenario in San José del Cabo, between Álvaro Obregón and Manuel Doblado. Times below are local Los Cabos time as published by SCORE (Mountain Standard Time). Start times are subject to change.
Day | What happens | Time |
|---|---|---|
Wed, Nov 11 | Tech inspection, contingency row and Manufacturer's Midway (free entry) | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
Thu, Nov 12 | Tech and contingency continue for remaining classes (free entry) | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
Fri, Nov 13 | Race start: motorcycles and quads | 1:00 a.m. |
Fri, Nov 13 | Race start: cars, trucks and UTVs | 9:00 a.m. |
Sat, Nov 14 | Finishers arrive through the day and night; the 40-hour limit runs out | All day |
Sun, Nov 15 | Awards ceremony in San José del Cabo, open to the public | 12:00 p.m. |
Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/H7P3sjJpcQxxPfEu9
Race morning on Friday: four-wheel vehicles begin staging at 8:00 a.m., the honor guard and flag salute is at 8:15 a.m., and the first truck leaves at 9:00 a.m. Trophy Trucks go first, followed by Trophy Truck 2WD, Trophy Truck Legends, Class 1, Trophy Truck Spec and Pro UTV Ultimate, then the remaining classes. On the two-wheel side, Pro Moto Unlimited leads the field out at 1:00 a.m.
The Cabo to Cabo course
The loop is close to 1,000 miles (SCORE's published figures run from about 965 to 979), and every class has 40 hours to finish. Elevation runs from sea level to more than 4,000 feet.
Approximate route, for illustration. SCORE publishes the official course map
- Out of San José: racers leave Boulevard Centenario and run up the San José arroyo.
- East Cape: north along the Sea of Cortez past Cabo Pulmo, La Ribera and Los Barriles.
- La Paz area: through San Juan de los Planes to the first checkpoint at El Centenario, around race mile 214.
- The Sierra de la Giganta: across the mountains and San José de Comondú to Loreto, the northern turn of the loop.
- Pacific side: south past Ciudad Constitución and the Santa Fe checkpoint, around race mile 781.
- Home stretch: past Todos Santos and Pescadero, over the sierra, and back down the arroyo to the finish.
For anyone who knows the region as a real estate map, the course is a tour of it: the East Cape, La Paz, Loreto, Todos Santos and Pescadero, all in one lap.
How to watch, and how to stay out of trouble
- In town: the start on Friday and the finish through Saturday are both on Boulevard Centenario. Arrive early and plan to walk the last stretch.
- From home: SCORE streams the race on its website, app, Facebook and YouTube, with live tracking of every vehicle.
- Out on the course: stay well back from the track, never stand on the outside of a turn, and never stand in the course itself. Vehicles arrive fast, at night, and not always where you expect.
- On the roads: expect heavy traffic and closures around downtown San José from Wednesday through Sunday. If you have an airport run on Friday, leave extra time.
- On the highways: chase trucks and support crews will be on Highway 1 and Highway 19 all weekend. Drive defensively, especially after dark.
- On your own land: if you own property near the East Cape, Todos Santos or Pescadero sections, expect noise and dust on Friday and Saturday, and keep gates closed and animals in
What this means for Los Cabos
A week like this fills hotels, restaurants and rental calendars, and that is the obvious part. The bigger value is exposure. Hundreds of teams, their crews, sponsors and families are spending a week here, many of them for the first time, and a global audience is watching the East Cape, Loreto and the Pacific side on a live stream.
That matters for real estate in a specific way. Los Cabos buyers almost always start as visitors. People come for an event, drive the coast, and start asking what it costs to own here. Events of this scale also reinforce what owners already know: Los Cabos can host world-class events, and the infrastructure, airlift and hospitality behind them are part of what supports property values and rental demand.
If race week is your first real look at Los Cabos, or it has you thinking about a home base in Baja Sur, I am happy to show you around once the dust settles. From San José del Cabo and the East Cape to Cabo San Lucas, Todos Santos and La Paz, my team and I work the whole route.
Alen Fabjan Managing Broker, The Oppenheim Group Cabo [email protected] | alenfabjan.com |+1.480.264.1006
Some Images are AI-generated illustrations, not actual photos of the event. Course map is approximate
