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Record Field of 35,000+ Runners Crowds CDMX Half Marathon as Kenyan Athletes Sweep Elite Titles

Organizers say the scale exposed registration and start-area strains that will force changes to race logistics.

Overview

  • More than 35,000 runners took part in the XIX Medio Maratón BBVA Ciudad de México on July 12, 2026, filling a redesigned course that started at the Hemiciclo a Juárez and finished at the Ángel de la Independencia.
  • Kenyan athletes won both elite races with Simon Maywa clocking 1:04:36 for the men and Gladys Cherop Longari posting 1:12:19 for the women.
  • Adapted-sport categories were included and produced named winners such as Alejandro Pacheco Castillo in visually impaired competition and Gonzalo Valdovinos González in the men’s wheelchair race.
  • City agencies and race operators say coordinated security, medical and transport services managed the large field without major incidents while organizers used seven staggered start blocks to ease crowding.
  • Organizers and former directors recommended concrete fixes after the race, including verified qualifying times at sign-up, block-based bag drop, expanded transport hours and more volunteers to prevent registration overload and start-area congestion in future editions.