The SCORE Baja 1000 has started in Tijuana, Ensenada, Mexicali and La Paz. It has never started in San José del Cabo. On October 3, SCORE International released the official course for its 59th running. The "Cabo to Cabo" race is a 964.66-mile loop that starts and finishes on Avenida Centenario. It is the first time in the race's history that the whole course stays inside Baja California Sur.
That puts the center of San José del Cabo's busiest November week on one boulevard, a few blocks from the historic center. The schedule also suggests the busiest days in town won't be race day. They will be the Wednesday and Thursday before it, the same Wednesday that A Taste of San José del Cabo fills Don Sanchez Restaurant downtown. The race's finish window then runs into the opening weekend of the Pa'h La Calle festival.
Why the Busy Days Come Before the Race
Race week officially runs November 9–15. Most of what the public can actually watch happens in a two-day stretch. SCORE holds official tech inspection and contingency for every race vehicle on Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Thursday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT each day. Both days are on Avenida Centenario at the start/finish area, which SCORE describes as "just steps from the Sea of Cortez."
Contingency is when the trucks, buggies, UTVs and motorcycles sit parked and open to view before going through inspection. A spectator can see the whole field in one place. The race itself thins out into the desert within minutes. SCORE projects more than 250 teams. The Ayuntamiento de Los Cabos puts preregistration at about 300 teams. On Wednesday and Thursday, every one of those vehicles will be on Centenario at once.
Not everything that week is open to the public. Method Race Wheels qualifying on Tuesday, Nov. 10, begins at 8 a.m. on private property, and SCORE says spectators are not allowed. El Sudcaliforniano reports race-week activities at Plaza Antonio Mijares in the historic center and in the Cabo San Lucas tourist zone. The paper does not say the course itself runs through either spot.
The Week on One Page
SCORE publishes all of its race-week times in Pacific Time, so check the conversion to your local clock before setting an alarm for the start. The table below lists SCORE's times as published.
| Day | What's happening | Where | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, Nov. 10 | Method Race Wheels qualifying, closed to spectators | Private property | 8 a.m. PT start |
| Wed, Nov. 11 | Tech inspection and contingency, day one | Avenida Centenario | 8 a.m.–5 p.m. PT |
| Wed, Nov. 11 | A Taste of San José del Cabo | Don Sanchez Restaurant, downtown | Evening |
| Thu, Nov. 12 | Tech inspection and contingency, day two | Avenida Centenario | 8 a.m.–5 p.m. PT |
| Fri, Nov. 13 | Motorcycles and quads start | Avenida Centenario | 1 a.m. PT |
| Fri, Nov. 13 | Cars, trucks and UTVs start | Avenida Centenario | 9 a.m. PT |
| Fri–Sun, Nov. 13–15 | Finishers arrive within the 40-hour limit | Avenida Centenario | Rolling |
| Sat, Nov. 14 | Pa'h La Calle opens, running through Nov. 22 | Venues pending | To be announced |
Wednesday Night Belongs to Don Sanchez
On the first evening of contingency, eight San José del Cabo kitchens are competing a short distance from the race paddock. A Taste of San José del Cabo returns Nov. 11 at Don Sanchez Restaurant downtown. It raises money for Refugio Voz Que Clama, a local shelter that provides emergency housing and support services.
The lineup:
- 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
Chef Edgar Román of Don Sanchez hosts. Guests try all eight dishes and vote for a People's Choice award. Special guest judge Susie Jimenez picks the Celebrity Chef's Choice. The auction includes fishing trips, sunset cruises, golf packages, spa treatments and an entry into the 2027 Bisbee's Black & Blue Tournament. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite.
A benefit dinner and a desert race don't usually share a calendar. This year the two overlap on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Contingency on Centenario runs until 5 p.m. PT, and the Taste is an evening event downtown that same day. Anyone holding a Taste ticket should plan for the extra race-week activity in town and leave more time than usual to get downtown.
The Course Leaves and Returns Through the San José Wash
From the line on Centenario, the race goes straight into dirt. SCORE's course description sends racers into the San José Wash first and out of it near race mile 10. From there they head toward the East Cape through Cabo Pulmo, La Ribera, Arroyo Las Cuevas, El Campamento and Los Barriles, then on to El Cardonal and the climb into the Sierra del Carrizalito.
The return reverses that. Racers come back north of Todos Santos, through Pescadero, Rancho La Soledad and the Sierra de Los Naranjos. They cross Federal Highway 1 again and drop into the San José Wash a second time for what SCORE calls "an exciting final 15-mile run to the finish line on Avenida Centenario." So the first ten miles and the last fifteen of a 964-mile race both run through the arroyo next to town.
SCORE's course release doesn't name any spectator areas along the course. Tribuna de México reported a planned viewing zone at Arroyo San José, with ramps, barriers and restrooms. Until SCORE or the municipality confirms it, the only official place to watch is the start/finish area on Centenario.
The 40-Hour Tail Overlaps Pa'h La Calle
Racers get 40 hours to finish and be declared official. Counting from the published starts, the motorcycle window closes around 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, Nov. 14. The window for cars, trucks and UTVs closes around 1 a.m. PT early Sunday, Nov. 15. That means finishers could still be arriving on Centenario all day Saturday.
The 13th Pa'h La Calle festival opens that same Saturday. The municipality has scheduled it for November 14–22, with street arts, workshops and inclusive activities. It's organized with Arte Detonante A.C. under festival director Fabiola García Ángeles and president María Lourdes Santana Muñiz. Admission is free, and performers are expected from Spain, Cuba, Costa Rica and several Mexican cities. The full schedule and venues hadn't been published as of the latest coverage, so it isn't yet clear how many opening-weekend events fall in San José del Cabo.
As soon as racing ends, the town's own festival takes over. The arts program then runs for another week after the race teams leave.
What the Officials Are Counting On
The Ayuntamiento estimates race week will bring $35 million in spending, spread across Los Cabos, La Paz, Comondú, Mulegé and Loreto. El Sudcaliforniano reported the figure as about 635 million pesos. Tourism director Ana Gabriela Navarro González said participants would come from more than 20 countries and about 20 U.S. states. SCORE's own count is 15 countries. Eighth councilor Celestino Atienzo Beltrán said he hopes the race becomes a permanent event, and he asked fans to respect the route and the safety measures.
Los Cabos has hosted SCORE before, but on a smaller scale. The 2015 Baja Sur 500 started here. This year is the first time the Baja 1000 itself, the race SCORE calls the "Granddaddy of All Desert Races," both starts and finishes in town.
Still Unannounced as of Early October
Several details that matter for planning a week around Centenario aren't public yet:
- Street closures and detours. None of the race announcements so far list closures or detours. SCORE's schedule sends racers the race information and GPS files on Thursday, Oct. 22.
- Pre-running. Official pre-running opens Saturday, Oct. 24, and SCORE tells registered pre-runners to obey traffic laws. Expect race vehicles on regional roads and washes well before race week.
- Exact start/finish location. SCORE names Avenida Centenario but no cross-street.
- Pa'h La Calle venues. The program and locations are still to come.
The GPS release on October 22 is the next date to watch. Once racers have the course, local road crossings and any municipal advisories should follow.
If you're planning a listing launch, a showing schedule or a move in mid-November, race week on Centenario will affect your timing. Robyn & Co can help you plan around Wednesday's contingency crowds and the Saturday finish window. Schedule a complimentary concierge consultation, and we'll work from the race calendar with you.
