100km - Ultra Marathon

100km | +4,300 m

Race date: Friday – Saturday, 20-21 September 2019

Start & Finish: Topas Ecolodge

Race start: 10PM, Friday 20 September

Bus depart to start: please see the program for your package

Qualification: Registration is only open for very experienced runners, at least 18 years old on race day, who have previously completed at least 1 full marathon or an equivalent (Adventurerace, Ironman etc.).

The first part of the route you will run deep into Hoang Lien Valley, through rice fields, muddy trails and minority villages. In the night you will pass Ban Ho area, run along the Nam Cang River and climb to the My Son village of the small mountain tribe of Xa Pho.  After a hard 30km loop, you will join the famous 70km VMM Ultra Marathon route.

Very soon you will experience the sunrise as you will be running on the edge of the extremely beautiful and remote rice terraces following a river running from Fansipan mountain, the highest peak of Indochina.

After crossing the river it is time to take it easy, the path is narrow and the valley steep down to the river! At the end of the valley there is a hard climb up through rice fields and rose plantations to 1779m. After crossing the road and a water station the deep and old Vietnamese jungle is waiting, the path is again very narrow and slippery, so hiking is recommended for many.

This very hard Ultra-trail Marathon is the hardest one day running race ever in Vietnam. It will cover all types of landscapes of the mountain range, with river crossings and beautiful scenery. You will start running into the darkness with your (strong!) headlamp just before midnight, and soon the adventure is on!

Once out of the deep forest you will join the Marathon route and see the breathtaking view of Ban Quan valley. This is the area of Red Dao minority and is rarely visited. You now continue to the rice fields of Ta Phin. Soon you will reach a 6km uphill and steep downhill before the finish line and the stunning welcome from the other runners at Topas Ecolodge, located on a beautiful hilltop. Now it is time for relaxation and to enjoy the feeling of triumph together with all the other mountain runners!