Race date
21 February 2026
Distances
The Lost City Marathon features two distances:
Full marathon - 42.195km/26.2mi
Half marathon - 21.1km/13.1mi
Start time
The Lost City Marathon will be started in waves, with the first wave setting off at 07:00 in the morning. The number of waves to follow depends on the final number of runners.
Cut-off Times
Full Marathon: 8 hours
Half Marathon: 8 hours
Runners spending more than 8 hours on the route will receive an FNT (Finished No Time) on the results list. 8 hours after the last runner crossed the start line the race will end and runners still on the route will be picked up by race officials and driven back to the finish area.
Route
The marathon and half marathon have start and finish in the same places. Start at Palenque Archeological Zone. Finish at La Chiapaneca restaurant.
Starting at the Archaeological Zone of Palenque, the race takes you past remnants of the ancient Maya city and guides you along lush jungle trails. After 3km the route transitions to an asphalt path leading downhill until it takes a left turn onto a gravel road. Continuing for a few more kilometers, the route approaches the foothills of the mountains, where it begins to ascend gradually. Half marathon runners take a right turn for a nice relatively flat loop on gravel road around picturesque ranches and through the village of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas before reaching the finish line. Marathon runners keep ascending the mountain towards the village of El Naranjo, where they do a loop and then break off from the gravel road and ventures onto narrow trails leading further into the mountains and the lush jungle. The river Chacamax is crossed a couple of times and a few hills must be climbed. Coming out of the trails near the village of Carranza the path is more or less downhill leading to the intersection where the half marathon runners previously branched off. Marathon runners will now also run the loop around the green and lush ranches to finish in the same place as the half marathon runners.
Surface
The route is mainly run on gravel road with a few short parts on asphalt and a stretch on the Sendero Motiepa trail. Marathon runners will also have approximately 4 kilometers on narrow mountain trails through jungle forest.
Route Logistics
The route is marked with arrow signs, orange trail marker flags and kilometer markers. At crucial sections red & white danger tape and/or race crew will point runners in the correct direction.
Note that the route is not closed off to the public. Please respect locals and watch out for traffic when running on/near the streets.
Please note
Do not forget that this is first and foremost an adventure. We are far away from comforts of home and this makes it impossible to offer services at the same level usually provided in city marathons.
Eligibility
Marathon runners:18 years old on race day.
Half marathon runners: 16 years old on race day.
Clothing & Weather
February is one of the driest months in Mexico, with hot weather and pleasant water temperatures. You can expect an average daily high of around 27°C (80°F). It's one of the more popular months to visit, where it's not too hot with little to no chance of rain.
Shorts and T-shirt/singlet may be the preferred outfit for most, but some may also like long tights and sleeves to avoid ticks when running through the jungle.
Time Taking & Results
The Lost City Marathon will be timed with timing chip. All runners will receive one bib number that must be worn during the race. It must be attached to the front of your body and readable - both for safety and for photography purposes. The bib numbers are color-coded according to the distance you are running:
- Full marathon: Black
- Half-marathon: Red
The results will be published on our result page shortly after the race is finished.
Medical Team
Danish english speaking doctors will be on-site during the race, monitoring the route. They have the authority to stop runners if they deem it necessary for safety reasons. All decisions made by the medical team are final.
Prizes and Awards
All finishers receive a medal. A small, symbolic prize is given to the winners of both distances for men and women. Please note that there is no prize money.
Fauna and insect encounters
When running in the mountains and forests surrounding Palenque you may be lucky to spot scarlet macaws, tucans, and howler monkeys. The chance though, is that most wildlife will run or fly away and hide when they hear the runners approaching.
Should you be so lucky to spot howler monkeys in the tree tops keep in mind that these monkeys are cheeky and known for throwing smaller branches, nuts and similar at humans stopping to stare.
The route will cross some plains where cattle may be grazing. Running directly into a group of animals is never a good idea, but walking by them is harmless.
The mountains around Palenque have ticks (Ixodidae) and runners are advised to check themselves after finishing the race.
To minimize the risk of ticks catching on to your body you can consider running in long tights, long socks, and long sleeves, but shaving legs will also reduce the chances of ticks catching on.
Runners with long hair should consider tieing it up and/or use a cap and bug spray with DEET.
