Race Date: 22 February 2025
Race Time: 7AM
The Course: 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 past the village of Cárdenas, which leads them to the finish line.
Marathon runners keep ascending the mountain towards the village of El Naranjo, but just before reaching the village the route breaks of 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 some very intense hills must be climbed.
After roughly 10 kilometers on mountain and jungle trails, the route takes the runners into the village of El Naranjo. From here on, 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.
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 Tours & Travel, an authorized tour operator, is required to offer travel arrangements in conjunction with guaranteed race entry. Full marathon runners must be at least 18 years old on race day. Half marathon runners must be at least 16 years old on race day.
Cut off times: Runners have a net time limit of 8 hours, meaning any marathon runner 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.
Weather: February is one of the driest months in Mexico, with hot weather and pleasant water temperatures. You can expect an average daily high around 27°C (80°F). Its one of the more popular months to visit, where its 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.
Difficulty: 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 10 kilometers on narrow mountain trails through jungle forest.
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 bibs - "Maya Red"
- Half-marathon - "Maya Yellow"
The results will be published shortly after the race is finished.
