Record field, new Downtown course highlight 2026 Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A record number of runners took to the streets of Downtown El Paso on Sunday as the 2026 Michelob Ultra El Paso Marathon unveiled a new course and welcomed its largest field since the race began in 2007.

More than 700 runners were expected to compete in the full 26.2-mile marathon, marking the biggest field in the event’s history. All races started and finished at San Jacinto Plaza, offering runners and spectators a scenic Downtown backdrop.

The new marathon route began at San Jacinto Plaza, wound through Downtown El Paso, then headed east through Austin Terrace, Edgemere and the Cielo Vista neighborhood before turning around at Wedgewood Boulevard. Runners retraced the course back to Downtown for the finish at the plaza.

“This is going to be a great year, with a really cool finish venue Downtown,” race director Mike Coulter said. “This year, all of our races will be starting and finishing at the San Jacinto Plaza. Once again, it’s going to be an outstanding place for runners and spectators, with all the history, murals and fascinating streets in Downtown El Paso.”

Coulter said the Downtown finish is designed to give runners a memorable experience surrounded by historic streets and public art.

The El Paso Marathon serves as a qualifying race for the Boston Marathon, the New York Marathon and the Abbott World Marathon Age Group Championship, drawing competitive runners alongside first timers.

The Raiz Federal Credit Union Half Marathon and the Spine and Rehab Specialists 5K were also part of Sunday’s events. The marathon began at 7 a.m., the half-marathon at 7:20 a.m., and the 5K at 7:40 a.m.

Among the half-marathon runners was Eileen Chen of Houston, Texas, who said the race marked her first long distance event.

“I never ran before, never ran anything before actually, but over the past eight months we just, whenever we had free time, just ran maybe three times a week and we just really motivate each other and it was a lot of fun,” Chen said.

Chen, who has lived in El Paso for four years while attending medical school, said she and her friends chose the race as a way to celebrate their upcoming graduation.

“All my friends were fourth-year medical students at Texas Tech and we wanted to do something since we’re graduating,” Chen said. “Some of them are running the full marathon. I’m running the half and we just wanted to train the past eight months together and do something fun.”

She said the weekly long runs helped build camaraderie in the community.

“Every Sunday morning when we do our long run, it’s been really fun to see everyone out together doing the same thing,” Chen said. “If I can do it, you can do it. I never thought I could run, but here I am, and so you should go sign up.”

David Valentine, a runner from Santa Teresa High School, also competed in the half-marathon and said he aimed to break an under-20 world record time of 1 hour, 18 minutes.

“I did the half-marathon. I was attempting to break the under-20 world record at 1:18, but fortunately, I just came two minutes short,” Valentine said. “I got next year.”

Valentine said he has been training for about six months and runs 50 to 60 miles a week while balancing school.

“Just get up and do it. It’s your brain you gotta convince. It’s all mental at the end of the day,” Valentine said.

Spectators lined portions of the Downtown route, cheering runners as they made their way through the city streets despite chilly and windy conditions.

Organizers encouraged the community to come out and support participants as El Paso hosted its largest marathon field to date, celebrating both seasoned competitors and first time runners crossing the finish line at San Jacinto Plaza.