Tikal hosts Gran Jaguar 70.3 on 28 November 2026

Tikal and the Gran Jaguar 70.3 triathlon will share the same visitor horizon on 28 November 2026 in Guatemala, with the race finishing at Temple I in Tikal National Park. The course connects the Flores area with the Maya ruins through swimming, cycling and running sections.

Gran Jaguar 70.3 reaches Tikal on 28 November

The organiser, El Desafio Eventos Deportivos, lists the race start for 7am on 28 November 2026 from the beach at Hotel Maya Internacional. Its event page places the finish behind Temple I, also called the Great Jaguar temple, inside the national park.

The 70.3 course comprises a 1.9 km swim, a 90 km cycle section and a 21 km run. A shorter promotional course is also listed, with a 950 m swim, 63 km of cycling and an 11.5 km run. Registration and packet collection are scheduled for 27 November in Santa Elena, Flores, while the race briefing is set for the same evening. The organiser says that briefing will be held in Spanish and English. The event details for 28 November also identify transition areas at the hotel and the park camping area.

Temple I links a modern race to Maya history

The finish line is positioned beside one of Tikal's best-known monuments. Temple I rises from the Great Plaza and is associated with the ruler Jasaw Chan K'awiil I, who commissioned it as a mausoleum in the seventh century, according to Guatemala's tourism board.

That setting places a contemporary endurance race within a protected archaeological landscape whose history reaches far beyond the competition weekend. UNESCO says the ceremonial centre contains temples, palaces and public spaces, while the wider property covers 57,600 hectares of wetlands, savannah and tropical forest. The principal inner urban zone covers around 400 hectares and includes monumental architecture, residences, roads and ceremonial areas. The UNESCO description of Tikal records occupation from the sixth century BC to the decline of the urban centre around AD 900.

Tikal National Park was declared a national park in 1955 and became a mixed World Heritage site in 1979. The designation reflects both the archaeological remains and the biodiversity of the surrounding Maya Forest, rather than the ruins alone.

The finish at Temple I changes the race setting

For visitors, the most specific link between the event and the site is the location of the finish rather than a separate cultural programme. The organiser places the final line behind Temple I, while the transition area for cycling and running is in the park camping area. These areas are identified as restricted to athletes and organisers, so the race information does not establish general spectator access inside them.

The event therefore matters to a visit because it uses named parts of the archaeological complex as course infrastructure. The Great Plaza and Temple I remain the historical reference points, while the race route adds a fixed November date to the park's existing cultural setting.

Visiting Tikal: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The Gran Jaguar 70.3 takes place on 28 November 2026, starting at Hotel Maya Internacional and finishing behind Temple I in Tikal National Park.
• The organiser identifies the transition areas as athlete-only spaces, so the published event details do not confirm public access to those race facilities.
• Tikal is in Guatemala's Peten region, approximately 65 km from Flores; road transfers from Flores and Santa Elena are the established visitor approach.
• The park is a large rainforest and archaeological site. Visitors move between temples, plazas and forest paths on foot, with uneven ground and tropical conditions forming part of the terrain.
• Spanish is Guatemala's official language and the national currency is the quetzal.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Tikal

When does the Gran Jaguar 70.3 take place at Tikal?

The race is scheduled for 28 November 2026. Its finish is listed behind Temple I in Tikal National Park.

Where is Tikal and how do you get there?

Tikal is in northern Guatemala's Peten region, approximately 65 km from Flores. Visitors commonly approach by road from Flores or Santa Elena.

What is Tikal National Park?

It is a protected archaeological and natural landscape containing the ancient Maya city of Tikal. UNESCO inscribed the property as a mixed World Heritage site in 1979.