VMM 2018 - 100km Ultra-trail Race

Race - Sep 21, 2019

Dogs Unknown

Features Fall Colors · Views · Wildlife

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

Registration is only open for very experienced runners, at least 18 years old on race day, who have previously completed at least 1 ultra-marathon of +50km, VMM 42k/70k or an equivalent (Adventurerace, Ironman etc.).

This 100 km race is a 5-new-points qualifying race for Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB).

The race starts and finishes at the Topas Ecolodge.

On the first part of the route, you'll run deep into Hoang Lien Valley, through rice fields, muddy trails, and small villages. In the night, you'll pass Ban Ho area, running 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'll join the famous 70km VMM Ultra Marathon route.

Very soon, you'll experience the sunrise as you'll 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, as 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. 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.

Once out of the deep forest, you'll 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'll 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 to relax and to enjoy the feeling of triumph together with all the other mountain runners!