Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VIE)

Introduction

10-year-anniversary of the inaugural trail running event in Vietnam. Hosted by Topas Travel in the picturesque mountain town of Sapa in the country’s Northwest, VMM is a must-run-once for any Asian trail runner.

The small dirt roads and narrow trails will take you through the majestic mountains and valleys that are only used by locals. Each route will encompass challenging climbs, exhilarating descents and a true glimpse of local life through the rice fields and ethnic minority villages. The trails – with cumulative positive vertical meters ranging from around 600m (10km) to more than 4000 meters (100km) – will be on a marked route, tagged at crucial navigational points.Very strong sun or heavy rain is always a possibility in the mountains. Any participation in this unique event is completely at your own risk and you will be required to sign a waiver in order to participate.

After the race we will enjoy the very special social life of mountain runners and a good meal around a big bonfire where we can share our running experiences, the mountains and the twinkling stars above. Bring your family, your friends or join this unique event on your own. You don’t have to be a fast runner, but you better be tough and looking for a unique adventure of hiking or running.

The 2023 anniversary event will have a classic programme, which means the 100 km is the flagship race category. Contrary to last year, there is NO 100 miles category. ATM Championship points seekers, however, can also opt for the shorter 70k and 50k marathon race categories. That’s right, three different categories, exclusively for VMM and its 10th anniversary.

Event website

official website and race registration

International gateway

Fly into Hanoi, capital city of Vietnam in the north of the country. From Hanoi, plenty of busses go to Sapa, a major tourist area.

Accommodation options will become available soon. Check the official event website for details on those.

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗩𝗠𝗠 𝟭𝟬𝟬𝗞 - 𝗔𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗬𝗦𝗜𝗦 (from VMM website)

The VMM 100k course has had some big updates, including a new start in Sapa. The headline that many runners have noticed is the extra gain compared to 2022. The question is, does this mean VMM100k is harder overall than in 2022? Gain alone does not tell the whole story.

The first part from the start to Topas Ecolodge is going to be easier for people to complete. There is less technical downhill, less very steep uphill, and the very sustained downhill that challenged runners last year is also gone. What's more, this part is a bit shorter compared to the old course.

We therefore expect more runners to make it onto the final part of the 100k course together with the 70k runners. That 70k is then harder than in 2022. This is where the extra trail and extra gain is found.

From CP1 - 3 and from CP5 - 6 there is also more trail. This means more uphill and, importantly, more descending. In particular, the section from CP5 - 6 is going be a big test for runners.

So, do we expect more or less DNFs than in 2022? Of course in 2022 the weather played a big part, but we think more people will complete this course, despite the extra gain overall.

For race details of the 70km and 50km (and shorter distances), please visit the official website