The following release is published with permission from ATRA corporate member XTERRA and features the recent event in Cabo, Mexico.
San José del Cabo hosted a true sports and family festival on November 22–23, bringing athletes, parents, and kids together on the southern edge of the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. Racing took place across the Full Distance Triathlon on Saturday and Sunday’s Trail Desert Half Marathon (21K) served as a qualifier for the 2026 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship in Gozo, Malta. Steve Croucher (USA) won the triathlon and returned the next day to claim 1st place in the Trail Desert Half Marathon in 1.34.07. Sarah Morrison (USA) topped the women’s half marathon in 2.04.42. The heart of the story belonged to the people who were there and the voices that shaped the weekend.
Croucher, from Greenville, South Carolina, talked about the early moments before the race saying, “I think I enjoyed most of all walking to the start flags. The sun was just coming up. It was the brightest orange. And the horizon was just completely covered.”
He described the course with the calmness of someone who had taken in every detail. “That was very special,” he said. “I really liked the desert run course.”
Sarah Morrison from Colorado arrived ready for both events. She said, “We came down for the triathlon and trail run race this weekend, and we’re sticking around to stay for vacation.To my surprise, the trail run went even better today,” she said. “I was first in the trail run. It was great.”
Outside the race, Morrison kept mentioning how welcome she felt. She said, “People here are so nice to recommend places to go and things to do.” Locals offered “cool recommendations,” and every interaction felt genuinely friendly. Traveling for XTERRA was part of the experience. “Seeing the XTERRA race on the schedule” helped them choose Cabo, and she enjoyed the chance “to race internationally and see a different culture and see new terrain and see how people do it elsewhere and find new challenges.”
Laura Sameh from Charlottesville, Virginia, finished 13th in the Trail Desert Half Marathon. She said, “I just ran a half marathon, we’re in Cabo, Mexico, oh my gosh, it was amazing, so much fun, very challenging.”
This was only her second half marathon. “I started running for the first time in June,” she said. “I hadn’t run in four or five years, never more than eight miles, decided to sign up for a half marathon.”
Her first XTERRA experience came together naturally during the trip. “It was awesome,” she said. “The weather’s absolutely gorgeous, everybody’s so kind and friendly, delicious food, I’m just having the best time.”
She kept coming back to what made the race memorable. “The challenge, and the beauty, and the whole atmosphere,” she said, adding that “everyone’s so chill, so lovely, so helpful.”
Across the weekend, athletes, families, and supporters talked about how helpful the locals were, how positive the volunteers stayed at every checkpoint, and how the entire event felt welcoming from start to finish.
Credit goes to Clandestino Baja Travel Experiences, all event partners, and the full volunteer crew. Special thanks go to race organizer Sergio Sarmiento and his team for creating a weekend that left athletes feeling supported and excited to explore southern Baja.
Follow XTERRA Americas on Instagram for content that emerges from the weekend over the coming week and visit the XTERRA Cabo event page to view the full results.
Editor’s Note: To read more articles featuring XTERRA, visit this link.
