Race guide for 26–27 December 2026, Cuc Phuong National Park
Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths 2026
An independent guide for international runners: race week, kit pickup, the start, the course, the weather and where to stay.
Race in 58 days
Updated 29 Oct 2026. Race facts come from the organiser’s event page and ticket partners. On-course cut-offs are not yet published.
- Race days
- 26–27 Dec 2026
- Distances
- 100 kmplus 75, 42, 25 and 10 km
- Everything closes
- 20:00 Sun
- Race base
- Mac Lake, Cuc Phuong
Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths runs through Vietnam’s oldest national park, across the buffer zones of Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa and Hoa Binh, under the message “Run for conservation”. The 100K has a reputation as one of the toughest rainforest ultras in the region. The thing to plan around: kit pickup and the two longest starts are on Saturday, and the 42K starts in Thanh Hoa with an early-morning shuttle.
On this page
Race week at a glance
Two days, five races, one base at Mac Lake.
Sat 26 Dec
09:00–20:00
Expo and race kit pickup
Mac Lake area, Cuc Phuong National Park
Sat 26 Dec
18:00 / 22:00
100K starts at 18:00, 75K at 22:00. Briefings 30 minutes before.
Mac Lake area
Sun 27 Dec
From 07:00
42K (07:00, near Ngheo village; shuttle 05:00–06:00 from the park gate), 25K (09:00), 10K (09:30–10:00). All distances close at 20:00.
Mac Lake area
The organiser’s pages list the 10K start at both 09:30 and 10:00. Use the time in your final race email.
For your driver: Khu Hồ Mạc, Vườn Quốc gia Cúc Phương, Nho Quan, Ninh Bình
Distances, start times and cut-offs
Maximum times from the organiser. On-course cut-offs are still to come.
| Race | Start | Maximum time | Ages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100K | Sat 26 Dec 18:00 | To 20:00 Sun | 18+ |
| 75K | Sat 26 Dec 22:00 | 18 hr | 18+ |
| 42K | Sun 27 Dec 07:00 | 13 hr | 18+ |
| 25K | Sun 27 Dec 09:00 | To 20:00 Sun | 18+ |
| 10K | Sun 27 Dec 09:30–10:00 | To 20:00 Sun | 18+ |
18 and over only
Every distance, including the 10K, has a minimum age of 18.
A new 42K
The 42K route has been completely redesigned: it starts in Thanh Hoa and crosses all three provinces.
Bag return
Bags dropped at the start come back to the Mac Lake finish from 11:00 to 20:00 on Sunday.
Collect your race kit
Kit pickup is on Saturday 26 December, 09:00–20:00, at the Mac Lake area inside the national park.
Bring two things:
Your passport
For ID at the counter.
Your mandatory gear
Expect a check for the long distances. The list is on the organiser’s event page.
Check the shirt size and BIB details at the counter. The kit includes your BIB, a running shirt and sponsor items.
Mandatory gear
The 100K and 75K run through the night in the forest. Assume a headtorch with spare batteries, a warm layer, a waterproof jacket, a phone and water capacity between stations. Read the organiser’s list for your distance before you pack.
Getting there
Cuc Phuong is about 120 km south-west of Hanoi.
From Hanoi by road
About 2.5–3 hours by car or van to the park. Plan to arrive on Saturday for kit pickup.
From Ninh Binh
About an hour by road, if you are combining the race with a stay in Trang An or Tam Coc.
Inside the park
Mac Lake is near the park entrance. Distances inside the park are long, so ask your accommodation about transfers.
42K shuttle
The organiser’s bus leaves the park gate between 05:00 and 06:00 on Sunday for the start in Thanh Hoa.
The course
Primary rainforest and limestone.
The courses are not too steep overall, but they are rainforest trails: roots, rocks, mud and limestone, with the 100K going deep into primary forest in its second half. The 10K and 25K are a good introduction to trail running in a national park.
Weather
~10–20 °Ctypical late-December range in the forest
Late December is cool and mostly dry in northern Vietnam, but the forest stays damp and nights can be cold. Expect slippery rock after drizzle or heavy dew.
Where to stay
Stay in or near the park.
The national park has its own accommodation near the entrance and Mac Lake, and there are homestays in the surrounding villages. Ninh Binh has more hotels but adds about an hour each way. Book early for race weekend.
Same weekend, more races. Son Tra City Trail in Da Nang and VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong both run on Sunday 27 December.
Rules worth knowing before you travel
Standard trail rules.
18 and over only
On every distance.
Carry the mandatory gear
Missing items can stop you starting.
Only you can run on your BIB
Use the organiser’s transfer process if you cannot race.
Out of time means the vehicle
Runners who miss a cut-off follow marshals’ instructions.
Still to confirm
Show the three open questions
These details matter to a visiting runner and had not been published in a form we could quote. The organiser’s race guide is the authority.
| Open question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| On-course cut-offs for each distance | Decides your pacing plan |
| 10K start time (09:30 or 10:00) | Decides your Sunday morning |
| Full mandatory gear list | Decides what you pack |
Sources
Show sources
Race facts come from the organiser, Race Jungle (New Race JSC). Travel, weather and planning notes are our own.
- Organiser’s event page — schedule, start times and bag return
- iRace event page — maximum times and finish at Mac Lake
- 5BIB event page — kit pickup, shuttles and race-day schedule
- Ahotu — age limits
- Asia Trail Master — course character
Keep reading
- Vietnam race calendar, Oct 2026 – Jun 2027
- Trang An Marathon 2026 guide
- Racing in Vietnam 101: heat, transport and travel insurance
- All race guides
Racing in Vietnam? Ask the community
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Vietnam Sports Events is an independent guide for international runners. This page is not produced or endorsed by the organiser or the title sponsor. Details change; the race website is always the authority. Read our disclosure.