«VnExpress Marathon Vung Tau 2026»

   A dawn start along a seafront that has just been rebuilt, roughly two hours from Ho Chi Minh City by road — that is what makes this one worth a weekend. Vietnam's biggest race series is coming to Vung Tau for the first time, and a debut edition only happens once.

   Vung Tau is the 12th destination of the VnExpress Marathon system and its seventh seaside host after Ha Long, Da Nang, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, Can Gio and Hai Phong. The organisers expect around 7,000 runners from Vietnam and abroad. There are three distances — 5, 10 and 21 km — and the half marathon is the headline event.

   The start and finish areas are planned for the city centre, and the announced route passes Back Beach and Front Beach, Nghinh Phong Cape, the 160-year-old Vung Tau lighthouse and the Christ the King statue; the detailed map is still to come. Race director Duong Hai Anh describes the course as "very flat, with a few slopes that hardly matter" — in other words, a realistic shot at a personal best. Late August mornings here sit at 26–30°C, with rain usually arriving in the evening.

   Back Beach itself has just been through a major redevelopment, with a new seaside square and Tam Thang Tower, opened in August 2025. Its outline, together with the lighthouse and the kites that fly over this stretch of sand all summer, is stamped on the finisher medal.

   The organisers set clear age limits by distance: 21 km from 16, 10 km from 12, 5 km from 4 years old. That means everyone in the family has a distance available — worth knowing if you are travelling with children. Every entrant picks a singlet or a T-shirt when registering, and 21 km finishers also receive a Finisher shirt.

   Entry is sold in four waves at rising prices and registration closes on 19 August — partner ticketing platforms may shut their window a couple of days earlier. Groups of 20 or more get 5 to 25 per cent off depending on size. Race kits are handed out on 28 and 29 August, so plan to arrive a day early.

   The series has been run by the VnExpress newspaper and FPT Online since 2019, has hosted close to 200,000 runners and certifies its courses to AIMS and World Athletics standards. Herbalife Vietnam is the title partner. Registration at iRace.vn.