Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100 Mile

The 100-mile race is the longest competition at Vietnam Mountain Marathon and a selective test within the World Trail Majors calendar. Entrants must show a substantial prior mountain-ultra finish, and the route gives them a broad cross-section of northern Vietnam's highland terrain before the finish at Topas Ecolodge.

The 161 km point-to-point course leaves central Sa Pa, drops through rice terraces, climbs into forest and open highland, and later returns through town before heading to the Topas Ecolodge finish. Rough singletrack, river crossings, long climbs, and roughly 8,800 meters of gain produce a multi-day pacing problem.

September is still wet season in the Sa Pa highlands. Warm, humid valleys can give way to cooler ridges, fog, and heavy rain, with mud and slippery stone changing travel speed even when the air temperature stays moderate.