What was supposed to be a memorable international running experience turned into an expensive nightmare for dozens of participants in Sunday's Binational Half Marathon, who returned from Tijuana to discover their vehicles had been towed from a San Ysidro shopping center. Now, conflicting accounts from runners, race organizers and a nearby parking operator are raising questions about who directed traffic, whether participants were sent into an unauthorized parking lot and who should be responsible for the resulting towing bills.
The October 25, 2026 race, which took participants on a 13.1-mile course from San Diego across the international border into Tijuana, generated widespread complaints after runners reported paying hundreds of dollars to retrieve vehicles from Western Towing. Participants have alleged that more than 30 vehicles were removed, with some reporting charges approaching $480, although the precise number of tows and individual fees have not been independently verified.
The controversy centers on the San Ysidro Village shopping center near Ross and Popeyes along Camino de la Plaza, across from Las Americas Premium Outlets. Several runners claim they were directed into the lot by individuals they believed were working for the event, only to return hours later and discover their vehicles missing.
In an October 25 report by FOX 5 San Diego/KUSI, runner Alex Rodriguez said race personnel specifically instructed him to park at San Ysidro Village, despite the shopping center not being listed among the event's authorized parking locations.
"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 told the station.
Another participant, Bernice Diaz, said she and her sister parked at what they believed was the designated Las Americas parking area before discovering their vehicle had been towed. Runner Connie Mendoza, who traveled from Los Angeles, told FOX 5/KUSI that she had unsuccessfully attempted to contact organizers about reimbursement.
The allegations have also circulated on Reddit, where one participant described following event parking signs before encountering an individual who allegedly directed their vehicle toward the shopping center.
"Before we pulled into the lot to park, my friend literally rolled down her window to ask them 'do we park here?' and they said yes," the commenter wrote.
The runner's vehicle was not towed, but the account challenges suggestions that every affected motorist knowingly disregarded parking restrictions.
Race organizers, however, have denied responsibility for directing vehicles into the disputed lot.
In a statement provided to FOX 5/KUSI, the Binational Race Team maintained that the San Ysidro Village shopping center was never an authorized parking location.
"All reported towing incidents occurred at the San Ysidro Village parking lot, near Ross and Popeyes," organizers stated, identifying Las Americas Premium Outlets and Baja-Mex Ped West Parking as the event's two designated parking options.
The organization further asserted that "No Binational Race staff members were assigned to direct or manage vehicle traffic or parking within or outside Las Americas Premium Outlets."
That denial introduces a central question: If runners were instructed to park at San Ysidro Village, as multiple participants allege, who was giving those directions?
New information obtained directly by SanDiegoVille from the owner of one of the race's authorized parking facilities offers a potentially significant lead.
Fred A. Sobke, owner of Ped West Parking at 4575 Camino de la Plaza, confirmed that organizers contacted his business before the race and arranged a discounted $12 all-day parking rate for participants, compared with the facility's regular weekend charge of $18 per 12 hours.
Sobke said he was personally stationed at the entrance with employees from approximately 5am to 9am on race morning and confirmed that the facility remained open throughout that period.
"We were open and available as advertised," Sobke told SanDiegoVille, adding that no entrances were blocked and approximately 80 spaces remained available after the race began.
He also said he did not witness anyone redirecting motorists away from his facility, although he acknowledged he was not monitoring the shopping center across the street where the vehicles were towed.
More significantly, Sobke reported seeing individuals he identified as City of San Diego personnel managing traffic near the intersection.
"There were people from the City of San Diego in yellow vests who were directing traffic in the street," he stated.
According to Sobke, the workers controlled the traffic signal at Camino de la Plaza and Virginia Street and placed numerous cones to direct vehicles. He praised their handling of the intersection but said he was unaware of anyone directing motorists into San Ysidro Village.
His account does not establish that City employees instructed runners to park in the unauthorized lot, nor has SanDiegoVille independently confirmed the workers' employer or responsibilities. It does, however, introduce another possible explanation for the conflicting accounts: motorists may have encountered traffic-control personnel who were not employed by the race organizers.
That distinction could be important in determining responsibility, particularly if participants reasonably believed the individuals directing traffic were authorized to provide parking instructions.
The race's official parking information specifically assured participants that they could leave their vehicles at Las Americas Premium Outlets without risking towing. Organizers also advertised the discounted Ped West Parking option for runners presenting their race bibs.
The San Ysidro Village shopping center was not identified as an approved location.
The distinction between the two nearby Ross stores, one associated with Las Americas and another near Popeyes, may also have contributed to confusion among participants unfamiliar with the area.
In its October 26 coverage, the California Post highlighted the conflicting parking accounts and the frustration of runners who said they had followed what they believed were official directions.
Video shared on Instagram by Madeleine Winchester showed participants gathered at Western Towing's Chula Vista facility after the race. Some described long waits and substantial fees to recover their vehicles.
California Vehicle Code section 22658 regulates private-property towing, including required signage, vehicle-removal authorization, law enforcement notification and applicable charges. Certain removals require specific written authorization, while exceptions apply in circumstances such as blocked entrances or fire lanes.
State law also generally restricts towing during the first hour a vehicle is parked on private property, subject to exceptions. Whether the removals in this case complied with those requirements depends on the circumstances and documentation associated with each vehicle.
The fact that numerous cars were reportedly towed from the same shopping center does not independently establish that the removals were unlawful. Conversely, the existence of a private-property towing arrangement does not automatically establish that every tow complied with state law.
The controversy has extended beyond parking. Participants also complained about the event's paid spectator shuttle service, with one Reddit user alleging that a friend waited approximately 80 minutes to board and did not reach the Tijuana finish area until more than two hours after the runner had completed the race.
The commenter claimed hundreds of spectators experienced similar problems, although those figures and the reasons for the reported delays have not been independently verified.
Despite the complaints, other participants praised the concept of the Binational Half Marathon, which offered runners an unusual opportunity to cross an international border on foot and finish near the lighthouse in Playas de Tijuana.
The event's logistical problems, however, have overshadowed that experience for runners who returned to unexpected towing bills and confusion over who authorized their parking arrangements.
Some participants have additionally alleged that complaints about the towing were removed from the race's Instagram account or that commenting was restricted. SanDiegoVille has not independently verified those allegations.
SanDiegoVille contacted Binational Race organizers, Western Towing, management of San Ysidro Village, Las Americas Premium Outlets, Ped West Parking, the City of San Diego and the San Diego Police Department seeking information about the incident.
As of publication, Ped West Parking owner Fred Sobke was the only contacted party to provide a substantive response directly to SanDiegoVille. Race organizers separately provided statements to FOX 5/KUSI denying that their personnel were assigned to direct parking or traffic.
The remaining questions concern the identities and responsibilities of the yellow-vested workers, whether anyone instructed motorists to use San Ysidro Village, how many vehicles were towed, who authorized their removal and whether affected participants will receive reimbursement.
The response from Ped West Parking establishes that at least one advertised parking facility remained available, while the organizers' denial and firsthand accounts from runners leave unresolved who, if anyone, directed vehicles into the unauthorized shopping center.
For runners who spent months preparing for an international race, the finish line was supposed to mark the culmination of their efforts. Instead, some found themselves standing outside a towing facility, paying hundreds of dollars and struggling to understand how following what they believed were event instructions resulted in their vehicles being impounded.
With race organizers denying that their employees directed parking and a nearby business owner confirming that yellow-vested personnel were controlling traffic, the most important question is no longer simply where participants parked, but who was directing them and whether those instructions contributed to the mass towing incident.
SanDiegoVille welcomes firsthand accounts, photographs, dashcam footage, towing receipts and other documentation from affected participants. Additional responses from the organizations involved will be incorporated as information becomes available.
Originally published October 28, 2026.
