Vietnam Mountain Marathon 2026

   When the rice terraces of the Mường Hoa valley turn gold, thousands of trail runners take to the paths above Sa Pa, high in the mountains of northern Vietnam. Vietnam Mountain Marathon is the country's biggest mountain race, and whether you want a first taste of trail running or the hardest weekend of your year, both are on the entry list.

   The race has run since 2013 and reaches its thirteenth edition this year, having grown to more than 4,000 runners from 50 countries — a scale few races in Vietnam reach.

   In brief:

• — six distances — 10, 21, 50, 70, 100 km and 100 miles (about 160 km);
• — courses thread through bamboo forest, rice terraces and hill villages;
• — every distance finishes in the same place, Topas Ecolodge;
• — the dates are set for the golden-harvest season.

   The detail that matters most to anyone who follows the sport: VMM belongs to World Trail Majors, a non-profit alliance of ten emblematic trail events worldwide. It puts Vietnam alongside Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, the USA and the UK. For international trail runners that alone justifies the flight.

   The course climbs and drops relentlessly: slick trails, stream crossings, ridgelines in the mist and sunrises above the clouds. It runs high into the mountains, through bamboo forest and down into valleys where water buffalo still work the terraces, past villages of several ethnic groups whose residents come out to wave runners through. For some it is a race against the clock and a place in the rankings; for others, a way to cross the Hoàng Liên Sơn range on their own two feet and see it from the inside rather than from a viewpoint.

   Runners get a genuine challenge at any level of fitness, and visitors get a reason to come: the atmosphere is best caught at the aid stations and in the finish village, where every last finisher is cheered home. Over the weekend Sa Pa fills with people in trail shoes, and the town talks of little but climbing and the forecast.

   Late September is when the terraces turn gold, and that is the image the race is remembered for. The other side of it: the rains have not fully stopped, the ground is slippery and mist drops fast, so shoes and a rain layer are worth thinking about in advance.

   What the entry fee covers:

• — competitor T-shirt on every distance, finisher T-shirt on 50, 70, 100 km and 100 miles;
• — race bib with chip timing and a finisher medal;
• — water and nutrition at the checkpoints;
• — finisher meal at Topas Ecolodge and pool access;
• — shuttle from the finish (Topas Ecolodge) back to Sa Pa;
• — Hoàng Liên National Park access fee;
• — charity donation — on distances from 21 km to 100 miles;
• — photos from the course.

   The short distances are gone — 10, 21, 50 and 70 km are sold out. The 100 km and 100 miles ultras are still open; for those and for the waiting list write to [email protected]. Elite and promising development athletes have a separate free entry by application. Package travel is available through Topas Ecolodge — the 3-day and 4-day programmes cover transfers, hotel, meals and pick-up from the hotel to the start.

   Race fees

• — 10km — VND 1,900,000 (~USD 73) — sold out
• — 21km — VND 3,300,000 (~USD 126) — sold out
• — Ultra 50km — VND 4,100,000 (~USD 159) — sold out
• — Ultra 70km — VND 4,400,000 (~USD 169) — sold out
• — Ultra 100km — VND 4,900,000 (~USD 189)
• — Ultra 100 Miles — VND 8,900,000 (~USD 340)

   Group registration discount: 10–49 runners — 5%, 50 runners and more — 10%.

   If you have ever thought about running a trail once in your life, the 10 km here is where to start: you cross the same finish line as the people who have just covered 100 miles. This year the short distances have gone, but the mountains and the shared thrill are open even without a race number.