Runners will once again cross the international boundary on foot when the Run Internacional U.S.-México 10K returns to El Paso and Ciudad Juárez on April 4, 2027, with organizers expanding the binational race to accommodate 5,000 participants following years of strong demand. The El Paso Community Foundation announced the eighth edition of the race, which connects the downtown areas of both border cities and will begin at 8 a.m. local time.
Registration opens October 24 at noon at international10k.com, according to KFOX14/CBS4. The race passes historic landmarks on both sides of the border and finishes at the international boundary line atop the Paso del Norte International Bridge, crossing the Stanton-Lerdo International Bridge along the way. Eric Pearson, president and CEO of the El Paso Community Foundation, said the event reflects the deep cultural, social, and economic ties binding the region, and added that organizers are excited to welcome more runners to the starting line in 2027.
The race has grown considerably since its founding. Established in 2015 in partnership with the office of then-U.S. Representative Beto O'Rourke, the event launched with an inaugural field of roughly 800 runners, according to the El Paso Community Foundation. That field grew to 2,000 for the sixth edition in March 2024 and nearly 3,000 for the seventh edition held in January, per the same account, with the 2027 cap now set at 5,000.
A Course Built Around Border History
The 5-kilometer portion of the route through Ciudad Juárez winds past landmark sites including Juárez City Hall, the 1659 Misión de Guadalupe, the Juárez Cathedral, the historic Kentucky Club, and the Old Customs House, where U.S. President William H. Taft and Mexican President Porfirio Díaz held their 1909 presidential summit, the foundation notes. The U.S. half sends runners through Downtown El Paso past Southwest University Park, home to the El Paso Chihuahuas and Locomotive FC, along with San Jacinto Plaza, local murals, the Mexican Consulate, and the historic Segundo Barrio neighborhood.
Mario Porras, vice president of international affairs for the El Paso Community Foundation, said the race represents the shared connection between the two border cities and is more than a race — it symbolizes what the region can achieve together. The event is organized through collaboration among local, state and federal authorities in Mexico and the United States, involving the cities of El Paso and Ciudad Juárez along with volunteers, sponsors and community partners.
Crossing the Border Requires Federal Paperwork
Runners hoping to take part need more than a bib number. Anyone crossing into Mexico must carry a valid Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative-compliant document — a passport, passport card, enhanced driver's license, or SENTRI/Global Entry card — to re-enter the United States, per Run Internacional's own guidance. Participants pass through U.S. border screening after crossing the international boundary, making the paperwork as essential as training mileage.
Hosting the race requires coordination across the City of El Paso, the Municipio de Ciudad Juárez, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Mexico's Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México, the Fideicomiso de Puentes Fronterizos, and both countries' consulates, according to Run Internacional. On race morning, federal border authorities temporarily close specific lanes on the Paso del Norte International Bridge and the Stanton-Lerdo Bridge to create a dedicated running lane and a finish line right at the border, while SENTRI vehicular traffic is rerouted to neighboring bridge lanes.
Border Politics Can Still Upend Race Day
That federal dependence is not just a logistical footnote — it has already derailed the event once. Organizers were forced to cancel the scheduled 2018 edition after U.S. Customs and Border Protection reassigned port staff ahead of the anticipated arrival of Central American migrant caravans, according to the Texas Tribune. CBP staffing availability remains a core variable for whether the race can go forward each year, even as demand for entries keeps climbing.
The most recent edition, held in January, drew nearly 3,000 runners who finished atop the Paso del Norte International Bridge, where local officials including El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego helped present medals. Hoodline covered that seventh edition in January, and the jump to a 5,000-runner cap for 2027 marks the race's largest expansion yet.
The El Paso Community Foundation, which organizes the race, was founded in 1977 as a permanent endowment for the borderland region and has awarded more than $249 million in grants across education, human services, health, and cultural projects in El Paso and Juárez. Registration details for the April 2027 race will be available at international10k.com starting October 24.
