Mexico City, International Sports Capital

35 major international sporting events and 450 local sporting events take place every year in Mexico City.

Major International Sports Events, Sports Infrastructure, Social Sports and High Performance are the four main strategies in which the Mexico City Sports Institute is focused in order to develop and promote sport in the City.

Mexico City wil celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games in 2018.

For years, visitors have traveled to Mexico City to learn about its historic past, experience its diverse culture, iconic landmarks, warm hospitality and feel the excitement of life in Mexico. Besides being a world-class destination, Mexico City prides itself on its innovations in sports.

Mexico City has become an international sports capital due to the major sporting events that have successfully taken place over the last 4 years. Events such as the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix, which was awarded best promoter by the FIA in 2015 and 2016, NFL and NBA regular season games have placed Mexico City as the number 1 travel destination in 2016 according to the New York Times.

Other major international sporting events that have taken place in Mexico City include: UFC Fight Night, MLB Mexico City Series, World Golf Championships, Longines Global Champions Tour, Lorena Ochoa Match Play, World Archery Championships, Formula E, Mexico City ePrix, FIA World Endurance Championship, WRC FIA World Rally

Championships Street Stage, GFNY Mexico City, Tour de France – L’ Étape Mexico, FIBA Americas Championship, WTF Grand Prix Final, FIVB World Olympic Qualification Tournament as well as the FIFA Congress and the IPC General Assembly. With the aim involving the people of Mexico City and for them to experience these events, Mexico City Government promotes concepts as FanZones and activations throughout the City depending on the sport.

Mexico City also prides itself in the Telcel Mexico City Marathon, that thanks to an integral strategy improved from being number 300 in 2012 to currently being within the top 10 marathons worldwide certified by the IAAF with over 40,000 runners.

It is important to note the outstanding economic impact that Mexico City has had, directly and indirectly, through the sports tourism and sporting events that have taken place. As an example, the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix in 2016 resulted in an economic impact of 167 million USD.

The Mexico City Government through the Mexico City Sports Institute has been actively working with four main strategies in order to develop and promote sport in the City which are: Major International Events, Social Sports, Sports Infrastructure and High Performance Sport.

The investment in sports infrastructure is a key aspect in which the Mexico City Government has focused on, in benefit of the City’s population, by modernizing and adapting the Magdalena Mixihuca Sports Complex, a 220 hectare park which was the Olympic Park in the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games, transforming it into the most important complex of its kind in Latin America containing facilities for 20 different sports.

In the effort of being an Active City through the Social Sport strategy, over 20 physical activation programs have been implemented in order promote active lifestyles engaging over 2’300,000 people in physical activity. The Mexico City Sports Institute has teamed up with the private sector in order to place over 3,000 urban gyms in public spaces throughout the City, where thousands of people of all ages can get physically active for free. The largest urban gym in the City is Paseo de la Reforma where over 150 races take place every year and where up to 15,000 yoga lovers get together in special events. The Ciclotón program (cycling) gathers up to 70,000 users that enjoy the City every Sunday through cycling with their friends and family.

Being an Olympic City, Mexico City will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1968 Olympic Games in 2018, all the venues that were used as part of the sports program for the 1968 Olympic Games will be refurbished as part of the legacy the Games left for our City. Mexico City will also be hosting a series of sport and cultural events during the year as a celebration of the most important sporting event ever held in our country, providing a great opportunity for the sports family throughout the world to join Mexico City in the celebration of this important milestone.

As a Sports Capital, Mexico City, has witnessed first-hand the power of sports and its benefits and looks forward to continue to expand the sports offer in the City to its population and visitors.

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