Xel-Há Triathlon 2026 Returns to Tulum Nov. 14-15 With National Elite Field

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The Xel-Há Triathlon will return to Tulum on Nov. 14 and 15 for its 16th edition, drawing elite and under-23 competitors alongside amateur, youth and first-time athletes to the Xel-Há park.

For the 10th consecutive year, the event will serve as the National Triathlon Championship, sanctioned by the Mexican Triathlon Federation. Organizers have set a total prize purse of 160,000 pesos, split across the Elite, Sprint and Olympic categories in both the men’s and women’s divisions.

Two Days of Racing

Competition opens Saturday, Nov. 14 at 6:30 a.m. with the Olympic-distance races, the Elite division and Olympic-distance relays. Olympic-distance athletes will cover a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike leg and a 10-kilometer run.

The program continues Sunday, Nov. 15 with the Sprint, youth, Solo Novatas and Sprint relay events. Sprint competitors face a 750-meter swim, a 20-kilometer bike leg and a 5-kilometer run, and adapted races will be offered for children between the ages of 9 and 15, with distances scaled to their categories. The course weaves through the park’s inlet, natural areas and interior roads.

Elite and Under-23 Fields

The Elite and under-23 divisions are part of the official call for entrants and bring high-performance athletes from both the men’s and women’s fields to the national championship.

The Elite prize pool totals 100,000 pesos, divided between the two divisions. The Olympic and Sprint races will each distribute 30,000 pesos to the fastest overall times in each age group.

The 2025 edition drew more than 1,700 participants, according to organizers.

Solo Novatas Aims to Bring in More Women

Among the scheduled categories is Solo Novatas, reserved exclusively for women who are new to the sport. Participants will complete a 400-meter swim, a 10-kilometer bike leg and a 2.5-kilometer run as part of Sunday’s program.

The event also includes relay divisions, in which teammates divide the swimming, cycling and running legs. All entrants must hold a current 2026 membership with the Mexican Triathlon Federation.

Environmental and Community Measures

Organizers said the race will incorporate steps to cut waste generated during competition, including sorting and recycling materials, composting organic waste and reducing printed materials. They are also collecting used bicycle inner tubes for a second use and relying on biodegradable supplies.

Grupo Xcaret said all registration fees go to Flora, Fauna y Cultura de México, A.C. and the Mexican Red Cross.

Online registration closed Oct. 31, though organizers will accept sign-ups during packet pickup if spaces remain. Olympic-distance athletes collect their packets Friday, Nov. 13, while those racing Sunday pick up theirs on Saturday, Nov. 14.