An epic race I recommend; San Diego to Playas de Tijuana Binational Race

My latest race was nothing less than epic, not because of the distance but because of the location. On Oct. 26, nearly 2,000 runners participated in the San Diego-Tijuana Binational Race, a half marathon that crossed the world’s busiest border through the San Ysidro/El Chaparral international checkpoint. 

The event also included a 10K race that started and ended in Tijuana. 

As an avid runner, I have become a fan of destination runs. That’s why when I saw this one I couldn’t ignore it, mainly because of what it represents; two nations united by a sport. 

I did the run with my brother, who is also a marathoner, and my sister-in-law, who ran the 10K. When we arrived at Las Americas Premium Outlets at dawn it was beautiful to see runners of all ages eager to start while witnessing the wonderful mosaic of nationalities. 

 Despite being the second year of this event, there were so many groups from the Greater Los Angeles area including Whittier, South Central and Little Tokyo, among others, and also from other counties like San Bernardino and Ventura. 

Those running the 10k tooK a bus that drove them across the border to start in Avenida Internacional until joining that half-marathoners.

Before the race started, all runners and cheerleaders honored the U.S. and Mexico with their respective national anthems. It was beautiful to see those of Mexican heritage singing “Mexicanos al grito de guerra…” and pledging allegiance to both countries. This truly shows what the Binational Race stands for: a celebration of unity, endurance and cross-border friendship between San Diego and Tijuana. 

The steel guardian 

As a young child living in Puebla, Mexico I would often listen to my grandmother’s favorite band Los Tigres del Norte sing some of their greatest hits like “Contrabando y traición,” “La banda del carro rojo,” or “Tres veces mojado.”

But it was until I moved to Los Angeles that I learned the real meaning of the lyrics. They sang about the border, San Ysidro, San Clemente and many other locations that have become icons of immigration.  

I grew up understanding the importance of that tall steel guardian that divides the U.S. from Mexico and ranges between 18 to 30 feet tall. In recent years a second layer of woven wire fence, about 100 to 200 yards from the first border wall, provides an enforcement zone for agents patrolling the border, according to CBP. 

 On Sunday when I ran along the border on the Tijuana side, I couldn’t help but think of all the dreams awaiting on the American side. These walls have been voiceless witnesses and deterrent for many throughout the years. 

The most iconic challenge started in mile 8 at the beginning of the famous hill nicknamed Enchilada Hill; a climb of more than 300 feet with a 1.1-mile ascent and 7% incline, that tested the runners’ endurance.

Unfortunately, some of them didn’t make it to the top. Cramps or heat fatigue ended their race. Some were picked up by the ambulance, others were moved to the side by family or friends. While it is not a steep hill, it’s long and tiring. 

While I wanted to stop and stare at the two walls, time didn’t allow. I wanted to run the half marathon in less than 2 hours 30 minutes so even as I slowed down I still had to power walk. This gave time to get some energy chews and electrolytes to get ready and continue running uphill.

The final leg

Once we made it to the top of the 1,700 meters of hill, we did the easiest part; run downhill. Although it seems easy, runners have to be careful as it may hurt the knees or toes. I run a bit on a zig zag and short steps. I saw people running sideways, others extending their arms.

As we got closer to Playas de Tijuana, we were welcomed by anonymous cheerleaders who held signs and some were shouting “¡Bienvenidos a Mexico!” 

That phrase and the idea of actually running in my own country re-energized me to make it to the end, where a festival with live music was waiting for us.

The whole experience was very exciting and I must say I had a decent time. While my brother finished in 1 hour 54 minutes I finished in 2 hours 23 minutes. Not bad for a slow but consistent runner. 

You can watch my video on Instagram and TikTok.