Sa Pa, Vietnam · Trail
Official site ↗Vietnam Mountain Marathon
Vietnam's first ultra, run from Sa Pa Square through the rice terraces of Lao Cai: a 161 km miler returning in 2026, plus a 101 km and a 69.8 km.
Distances
100 Miles
- Distance
- 161 km (100 mi)
- Vert gain
- 8,800 m (28,900 ft)
- Start
- 8:00 AM GMT+7
Not held every year; returns for 2026 after sitting out 2025 · WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-44:00)
100 Km
- Distance
- 101 km (63 mi)
- Vert gain
- 5,500 m (18,000 ft)
- Start
- 5:00 AM GMT+7
WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-27:00)
70 Km
- Distance
- 69.8 km (43 mi)
- Vert gain
- 3,900 m (12,800 ft)
- Start
- 3:00 AM GMT+7
| Distance | Vert gain | Start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 161 km (100 mi) | 8,800 m (28,900 ft) | 8:00 AM GMT+7 | Not held every year; returns for 2026 after sitting out 2025 · WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-44:00) |
| 101 km (63 mi) | 5,500 m (18,000 ft) | 5:00 AM GMT+7 | WSER 2027 qualifier (sub-27:00) |
| 69.8 km (43 mi) | 3,900 m (12,800 ft) | 3:00 AM GMT+7 | — |
Course records: Ngô Văn Chính 13:00:10 (2025)
About
The Vietnam Mountain Marathon has run out of Sa Pa in the far north of Vietnam since 2013, when it became the country's first ultra. Its thirteenth edition, on 17 to 20 September 2026, holds three races of 50 km and over: the 100 miles at 161 km, the 100 km at 101 km and the 70 km at 69.8 km. All three start in Sa Pa Square and finish at Topas Ecolodge.
The 100 miles and the 100 km are both Western States 100 qualifiers, the 100 km at sub-27:00, which is tighter than the race's own closing time. The miler is the one to watch: the race does not hold it every year, and 2026 is its return.
Course
Every distance runs from Sa Pa Square out through the Muong Hoa valley and the rice terraces of Lao Cai, finishing at Topas Ecolodge on a ridge above the valley. The 100 miles goes first, on the Friday morning, and passes back through the Ecolodge as a checkpoint before heading out again.
The race publishes no time limit in hours, only a table of clock cut-offs, and it is explicit that these are leaving times rather than arrival times. The 100 miles and the 100 km both close at 9:00 on the Sunday morning; the 70 km closes at midnight on the Saturday. September is typhoon season here, and the 2024 edition was postponed outright when Typhoon Yagi put Lao Cai under a state of emergency.
How to register
Entry is a straightforward online sign-up and the 2026 edition has sold out, with a waiting list kept for the 100 miles only. Accommodation is not bundled: the race sells travel packages separately and says plainly that package prices exclude the race fee, and there is a run-only option.