Race guide for Sunday 6 December 2026, Ho Chi Minh City
Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon 2026
An independent guide for international runners: race week, kit pickup, the start line, the course, the finish and where to stay.
Photo: Sunrise Events Vietnam, via the official race website
Race day in six weeks
Updated 25 Oct 2026. The 2026 kit collection venue and the final course maps have not been announced yet. Race facts come from the organiser; we will update this guide as the official athlete information is published.
- Race day
- Sun 6 Dec 2026
- Distances
- 42.195 kmplus 21.1, 10 and 5 km
- Marathon cut-off
- 6 hr 30 min
- Start line
- Le Duan St, District 1
The 9th edition runs on Sunday 6 December 2026 through the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. The one thing to plan around: race kits are handed out only on the two days before the race, and the 2026 venue has not been announced yet. In recent years kit collection was in Thu Duc, well away from District 1, so do not book a late Saturday arrival until the venue is confirmed.
On this page
Race week at a glance
Kit collection on Friday and Saturday, race on Sunday. The organiser publishes the exact schedule about two to three weeks before race day.
Fri 4 Dec
Expected
Race kit collection at the Expo
Venue to be announced
Sat 5 Dec
Expected
Last day to collect your kit. Kids Run 1.5 km and 3 km.
Venue to be announced
No kits on race morningSun 6 Dec
From 03:30
42.195 km, 21.1 km, 10 km and 5 km
Start on Le Duan St at Nguyen Binh Khiem, District 1
The organiser’s tentative gun time for the marathon is 03:30. One international booking platform lists the 10K start at 05:00. Wave times for each distance and pen are published in the Athlete Handbook before race day. Cut-offs are measured from the start of the last wave, not from when you cross the line.
| Distance | Cut-off | Minimum age on race day |
|---|---|---|
| Marathon 42.195 km | 6 hr 30 min | 18 |
| Half marathon 21.1 km | 4 hr | 16 |
| 10 km | 2 hr | 14 |
| 5 km | 1 hr | 10 |
| Kids Run 1.5 km / 3 km (Saturday) | — | Ages 5–10 / 7–14 |
All adult distances are on AIMS-certified courses. Runners who miss the cut-off are taken to the finish by the organiser and do not receive an official time or a medal.
Collect your race kit
No kit on race morning. Kits are not posted and not available on race morning, and the organiser is clear that there is no pickup outside the published hours.
Bring two things to the Expo:
Your original passport
Not a copy. This is your photo ID at the counter.
Your confirmation
The registration confirmation email or your BIB number, printed or on your phone.
The kit contains your race shirt, a BIB with the timing chip attached, a drawstring bag, race documents and sponsor items. BIB numbers are emailed and published about one to two weeks before race day. Check your spam folder.
If you cannot get there in time, someone else can collect for you, but the rules here are stricter than at most races. Your collector needs your original passport, their own original ID or passport, your confirmation email or SMS, and a handwritten authorisation letter signed by you. Sort this out before you fly: your collector needs your actual passport, not a copy.
Shirt sizes cannot be changed after registration. You can ask at the Exchange counter at the Expo, but stock is not guaranteed.
Getting to the start line
The start line for every adult distance is on Le Duan Street at Nguyen Binh Khiem, at the north-eastern end of District 1, beside the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
Stay in District 1
Staying in District 1 or the Ben Nghe area puts you within walking distance of the start, which is the easiest way to deal with a 03:30 start and road closures.
Grab or Xanh SM
Both work in Ho Chi Minh City and both take card payment in the app. On race morning, book much earlier than you think you need to, and expect to be dropped some distance from the start as roads close.
Arrive 60 minutes early
The organiser advises arriving at least an hour before your start.
Start in your own wave
You must start in your own wave, and you have 15 minutes from your wave’s start time to cross the line. After that you are recorded as disqualified.
For your driver: Đường Lê Duẩn, góc Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, Quận 1 (cạnh Thảo Cầm Viên)
The course
The organiser’s course maps for this edition are still marked as reference maps from 2025, so treat the route below as a guide until the 2026 maps are confirmed.
- MarathonThrough the heart of District 1, past Nguyen Hue Walking Street and Notre-Dame Cathedral, over Ba Son Bridge, around the Thu Thiem peninsula and past Landmark 81 at about km 36
- Half marathonShares the start, crosses Ba Son Bridge to Thu Thiem and back
- 10 kmOut and back through District 1 to the foot of Ba Son Bridge
- 5 kmStays in the centre, past the Opera House and along the river
- FinishThe reference maps show the finish at Bach Dang Wharf
Racing in the heat
30°C+by mid-morning, even in the dry season
December is dry season, but Ho Chi Minh City is still tropical. Expect the mid-20s °C at the start and temperatures above 30°C by mid-morning. Runners arriving from a northern winter should treat this as a hot race: start slower than goal pace and drink at every station. Read more in Racing in Vietnam 101.
The course is flat apart from the bridge. Water, electrolyte and food stations are set at regular intervals, with locations listed in the Athlete Handbook.
The finish
Medal and shirt
Every runner who finishes within the cut-off receives a finisher medal. Only marathon finishers within the cut-off also receive a finisher shirt.
Bag drop
Bag drop is at the start line. Use the organiser’s bag from your race kit, attach the baggage tag with your BIB number, and collect it from Baggage Claim after you finish. Leave cash, jewellery and phones at your hotel.
Results and photos
Results are published at sportstats.one, searchable by BIB number, name or year of birth. The official time is chip time. Free race photos appear on the official site about five to seven working days after the race, and the e-certificate follows seven to ten days after the race.
Appeals
If your result looks wrong, you have seven days from publication to appeal. The appeal costs 500,000 VND, refunded if your appeal is upheld.
Where to stay
District 1 is the obvious base: walking distance to the start, with plenty of hotels at every price.
The organiser has published accommodation offers on the official site in past editions. Check the Accommodation Offers page on marathonhcmc.com for 2026 partner hotels. We have no commercial arrangement with any hotel.
If kit collection is again in Thu Duc, allow time for a cross-city trip on Friday or Saturday from a District 1 hotel.
Rules worth knowing before you travel
Most of these are standard, but a few are stricter here than at races elsewhere.
No refunds, under any circumstances
You can transfer your place during the published transfer window for 200,000 VND, or change distance for 200,000 VND plus any price difference.
Selling a BIB is banned
Results from bought BIBs are voided, the runner has no insurance or medical cover, and buyers are banned from future editions.
Wear your BIB on your chest
The chip is on the back of the BIB, and a BIB pinned elsewhere may not record your time.
Lost your BIB?
Go to the Information counter near the start at least 60 minutes before your start, with your ID.
Pacers are provided
For common target times in the half and full marathon. Look for the pacer flag.
Cash prizes are taxed
Cash prizes are subject to Vietnamese personal income tax.
Chip time is the official time, so your result counts from when you cross the start line.
Still to confirm
Show the four open questions
Four details matter to a visiting runner and had not been published when we last checked. The Athlete Handbook is the authority.
| Open question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Race kit collection dates, hours and venue | Decides when you need to land and how far you travel on Friday or Saturday |
| Exact start time for each distance and wave | Decides your alarm, your breakfast and your car booking |
| The 2026 finish location and final course maps | Current maps are 2025 reference maps, and the FAQ still mentions Thu Duc for start and finish in recent editions |
| Partner hotel list for 2026 | Negotiated rates usually sell out early |
The organiser answers by email at marathontcbhcmc@sunriseevents.com.vn and on the official Facebook page, Monday to Friday, 09:00–18:00.
Sources
Show sources and photo credits
All race facts come from the organiser, Sunrise Events Vietnam, on the race website. Heat, transport and planning notes are our own.
- marathonhcmc.com — home page, FAQ, course maps, rules and regulations
- World’s Marathons race listing — 10K start time
Photo credits
Photos are from the organisers’ official race websites and remain theirs. Diagrams are our own.
- Runners packed behind the start line of the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon. Photo: Sunrise Events Vietnam, via the official race website
- Aerial view of runners on a tree-lined boulevard in central Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Sunrise Events Vietnam, via the official race website
- Ho Chi Minh City centre lit up at night during the marathon. Photo: Sunrise Events Vietnam, via the official race website
Keep reading
- Vietnam race calendar, Oct 2026 – Jun 2027
- Eximbank HCMC Marathon 2027 guide
- Techcombank Hanoi International Marathon 2026 guide
- Racing in Vietnam 101: heat, transport and travel insurance
- All race guides
Racing in Vietnam? Ask the community
Our Facebook group is where international runners swap race-week tips, find people to travel with and share their finish photos. English only, no BIB trading.
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.