The Grand Desert Race Sonora 2023 is an ultra trail competition that consists of covering 250 kilometers in six stages through the impressive Sonora Desert, one of the most diverse and beautiful in the world. Participants will have to face the extreme conditions of climate, terrain, and distance, but they will also be able to enjoy the nature, culture, and history of this region.
This running event will take place in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, on October 14th and 15th of this year. Puerto Peñasco is a coastal city located in the northwest of Sonora, which offers a great variety of tourist attractions such as beaches, dunes, islands, nature reserves, and water activities, where competitors will have the opportunity to travel the ancient routes of the Tohono O’odham nation, which has inhabited the area for hundreds of years.
Centuries ago, the Tohono O’odham tribe, known as the people of the desert, ran over 750 km from the Sea of Cortez in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora (declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2013), to the Arizona desert. They did this with the purpose of bringing salt-covered fish to their families, ensuring that it arrived fresh. This beautiful tradition is known as the “Salt Walk” and has been the inspiration for the Grand Desert Race (GCDD). This race represents a challenging feat for all runners, who will be able to face it thanks to the approval and blessing of the O’odham nation, composed of 12 districts, 11 of which are in the United States and 1 in Mexico.
It is worth noting that there is nothing similar to this race in all of Mexico and Latin America, and even in the world. It brings together three ecosystems: desert, marshes, and beach. It is a race that takes us through all these places and puts us on the sacred ground of a community for which there are no barriers or borders.
The Grand Desert Race offers a unique experience for runners. In this edition, four available distances to run are offered:
Ultra Trail 75K in two days.
Saturday, October 14th: 50K
Sunday, October 15th: 25K
Competitors will start from the middle of the desert and face a challenging route that will take them from the central area of the desert to the pristine beaches of the upper Gulf of California. There, they will experience a spectacular night under the stars.
Mega Desert Run 50K in two days.
Saturday, October 14th: 25K
Sunday, October 15th: 25K
Following the same route as the previously mentioned race.
Beach & Desert Run 25K in one day.
Sunday, October 15th: 25K
This distance offers the opportunity for less experienced runners to test their physical abilities, traveling the same route as the second day of the Ultra Trail.
Beach Fun Run 10K in one day.
Sunday, October 15th: 25K
Designed especially for the general public, this route allows anyone with acceptable physical abilities to run or walk and enjoy the fascinating desert environment.
There will be different registration stages with prices ranging from $570 to $8,550 Mexican pesos, depending on the stage and the route they register for. The Last Discount ends on July 31st, and the Lazy Bird ends on September 30th.
The top five overall finishers in each category (male and female) will receive trophies. The top three places per category will also be awarded trophies, as well as the top three overall winners, who will receive cash and in-kind prizes. There will be an attractive prize pool for the winners in both genders of each category.
This sporting event will undoubtedly be the perfect place for both experienced and less experienced runners to test their physical abilities in such a mystical place as the sacred ground of the O’odham nation.
Those interested in participating in the Grand Desert Race Sonora 2023 can register on the official event website: www.grancarreradeldesierto.com.mx, where they can also find more information about the route, stages, categories, prizes, and recommendations. The maximum capacity per race is 300 participants. The Grand Desert Race is made possible through the joint efforts of the Government of the State of Sonora, the Ministry of Tourism of Mexico, the Ministry of Tourism of Sonora, and Sabino Producciones.
Don’t miss it! It’s a unique opportunity to experience an extreme adventure in the heart of Mexico.