Trail race «Cúc Phương Jungle Paths 2026»

   A trail race inside Vietnam's first and oldest national park — Cúc Phương, founded in 1962 — where the long distances start in the evening, which means most of the course is run through old-growth jungle in the dark.

   The route crosses three provinces: Ninh Bình, Thanh Hóa and Phú Thọ. It is put on by Race Jungle, a Vietnamese trail specialist.

   The essentials:

• — Five distances: 10, 25, 42, 75 and 100 km, with roughly 200, 700, 1,200, 2,500 and 3,500 metres of climbing
• — Cut-offs: 26 hours for 100 km, 22 for 75 km, 13 for the marathon, 11 for 25 km, 10 for the 10K
• — The ultras leave on the evening of 26 December (100 km at 18:00, 75 km at 22:00); the rest start on the morning of the 27th
• — The 42 km begins not at the park but from Nghèo village on the Thanh Hóa side, with a shuttle from the park gate
• — The race kit includes a shirt, bib, timing chip, finisher medal, e-certificate, aid stations and insurance

   This one is for runners with night and root-strewn terrain already behind them; a headlamp here is a condition of entry, not a nicety. Newcomers should take the 10K or 25K — same forest, daylight version.

   Prices are published per distance, with no early or late tiers on the sales page, and the organisers describe no cash prize purse.

   Primary jungle after dark is not something any daytime park ticket will sell you.