Frustrated California marathon runners finish race and find their cars have disappeared after parking lot mix-up

Dozens of runners who took part in the Binational race were left frustrated with the organizers after they said their cars were towed while they took part in the marathon. Many runners returned from the marathon only to find their cars gone despite their claims that they used the parking lots that race personnel told them to.

On Sunday morning, people from across Southern California took off from the starting line in San Ysidro, San Diego. The 13.1-mile-long race would take them across the border and into Tijuana, where the finish line was. However, upon reaching that finish line, some racers found that they had been left without a vehicle after their cars had been towed during the marathon.

According to Fox 5 San Diego, the runners had to queue up outside the Western Towing office and pay hundreds of dollars to get their cars back. However, many of the racers whose cars were towed claimed that they had used the parking lots that they had been told to use by the binational race team. 

The Binational Race listed two parking lots

The Binational Race website lists two options for those taking part in the marathon to use. The Las Américas Premium Outlets is named as a place where runners can leave their car “without the risk of being towed.” The second parking option is also listed as the Baja-Mex Ped West Parking, where runners could show their race bib and “receive the special $12 race-day rate.”

However, one runner who took part in the race, Bernice Diaz, told Fox 5 that she and her sister had parked in the Las Américas Premium car park and the car was still towed. Another runner by the name of Alex Rodriguez told the outlet that he had been directed by staff to park at the San Ysidro Village, near Popeyes.

“They told us it was our fault, but it’s not our fault when the official people of Binational Half Marathon instructed us to park there,” Rodriguez said. However, in a statement, the Binational race organizers denied such claims: “No Binational Race staff members were assigned to direct or manage vehicle traffic or parking within or outside Las Americas Premium Outlets.”

The Binational Race Team said that all of the towing incidents had “occurred at the San Ysidro Village parking lot.” They reiterated that the two official parking lots listed on the website were the only designated parking areas.

Runners have been left trying to get their money back from the race organizers. One runner, Connie Mendoza, claimed she had tried numerous times to contact the Binational Race team but had been unable to get a response.

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