This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – More than 1,000 runners from across the globe are expected to take part in a 10-kilometer race spanning Downtown El Paso and Juarez, Mexico.

“It is very important to rekindle these events that are an example of the binational nature of our community,” said Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de Leon, consul general of Mexico in El Paso. “It is the only race that spans two international bridges and shows the close coordination between authorities on both sides of the border.”

The Run Internacional U.S.-Mexico 10K starts at 8 a.m. on Dec. 10 outside the El Paso Community Foundation offices on Oregon Street. Runners will cross into Mexico over the Stanton Street Bridge, go around Downtown Juarez to the Cuauhtemoc market and Our Lady of Guadalupe Cathedral. The race ends at the Paso del Norte International Bridge. An awards ceremony is scheduled next to El Paso’s San Jacinto Plaza.

Run Internacional 10K route (courtesy El Paso Community Foundation)

The race sponsored by the El Paso Community Foundation and partners on both sides of the border had been on hiatus since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was previously hailed as a symbol of unity between the people of two cities and two countries.

“These events are good news. They bring hope to a region where the news don’t always favor us,” said Juan Acereto, an El Paso-based representative of the city of Juarez.

El Paso’s sister city to the south has gained notoriety over the years for its drug killings and lately for being a springboard for unauthorized migration to the United States. But the city is also one of Mexico’s industrial giants, employing more than 330,000 people in factories that manufacture parts for the electronic, automotive and medical industries in the U.S. and Europe.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection El Paso Port Director Ray Provencio said CBP officers will monitor the race and that some who are off duty may participate.

“We’ll make sure is a safe event within our international footprint while at the same time supporting our trade and travel mission. There will be some impacts […] on December 10 we’ll reduce some of the lanes at (Paso del Norte Bridge) and there will be reduced throughput at Stanton, but that will be clearly identified,” Provencio said.

He expects traffic back to normal by 10 a.m.

Registration for the race is $25 and includes a T-shirt and a finisher medal. To register, visit www.international10k.com.