Race guide for 8–10 January 2027, Da Lat
Vietnam Highlands Trail by UTMB 2027
An independent guide to Vietnam’s first UTMB World Series event: race week, kit collection, mandatory gear, the courses and getting back from the finish.
Photo: Vietnam Highlands Trail by UTMB, via the official race website
Entries close 25 Dec
Updated 25 Oct 2026. Entries are open to everyone, with or without a UTMB Index, until 25 December 2026 at 23:59 Vietnam time, or until a distance sells out. Race facts come from the organiser; we will update this guide as the official athlete information is published.
- Race day
- Sat 9 Jan 2027
- Distances
- 100 kmplus 50, 20 and 10 km
- 100K climbing
- About 5,570 m
- Finish
- Clay Tunnel, Tuyen Lam Lake
Vietnam’s first UTMB World Series event runs in Da Lat. The one thing to plan around: the two long races start in the city at Lam Vien Square, but every race finishes at Clay Tunnel beside Tuyen Lam Lake, outside the centre, and the organiser lists no runner transport. Work out how you will get back from the finish, or to the start of the 20K and 10K, before you book your hotel.
On this page
Race week at a glance
All four races run on Saturday 9 January. Race kit collection is on Friday only.
Fri 8 Jan
08:00–21:00
Check-in and race kit collection, all distances. Opening ceremony 18:00–20:00.
Expo Area, Lam Vien Square, Xuan Huong Ward
Friday is the only kit daySat 9 Jan
From 03:00
Bag drop opens 02:00. 100K 03:00 and 50K 05:00 from Lam Vien Square; 20K 07:30 and 10K 09:00 from Clay Tunnel.
Lam Vien Square and Clay Tunnel
Sun 10 Jan
08:00
100K course closes. Closing ceremony and awards 08:00–10:00.
Clay Tunnel, then Lam Vien Square
The four races
Every distance is a UTMB World Series race. Finishers of the 100K, 50K and 20K earn Running Stones towards the UTMB World Series Finals.
| Race | Distance and climb | Start | Time limit | Min. age | Running Stones |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100K Langbiang | 101.5 km, ~5,570 m | 03:00, Lam Vien Square | 29 hr | 18 | 3 |
| 50K Elephant | 56.4 km, ~2,950 m | 05:00, Lam Vien Square | 18 hr 30 min | 18 | 2 |
| 20K Pinhatt | ~23–24 km, ~1,100 m | 07:30, Clay Tunnel | 9 hr 30 min | 16 | 1 |
| 10K Tuyen Lam | 11.3 km | 09:00, Clay Tunnel | Closes 14:00 | 12 | — |
The race page gives the 20K as both 24.1 km and 22.8 km. Early announcements also listed a 5K; it no longer appears on the entry page, so treat it as dropped unless the organiser says otherwise.
Late-phase fees, which apply from 1 October, are US$231.0 for the 100K, US$130.9 for the 50K, US$94.6 for the 20K and US$71.5 for the 10K, tax and processing included. Changing distance and transferring your place both close on 25 December. Some distances may sell out earlier, so check availability on the registration page before you plan travel.
The entry includes an athlete shirt, a finisher medal, a finisher tee for the 20K, 50K and 100K, a finisher certificate, stocked aid stations, on-course medical support, insurance and a post-race meal. Drop bags are for 50K and 100K runners only. Race photos are not included.
Collect your race kit
Friday only. Kit collection is on Friday 8 January only, from 08:00 to 21:00 at the Expo Area in Lam Vien Square. There is no collection on race morning. If your flight lands on Saturday, you will not get a race pack.
Photo ID
A passport is the safest choice.
Your mandatory gear
The entry page mentions a gear or pre-inspection certificate at check-in, while the gear page says checks are random at aid stations. Until the organiser clears this up, bring your full kit to check-in.
For your driver: Quảng trường Lâm Viên, Phường Xuân Hương, Đà Lạt
Mandatory gear
This is a mountain race in the dry season, but the organiser warns that January in the Lam Dong highlands can swing from over 35°C in the sun to around 5°C at night, with rain, wind and fog. Missing items mean a time penalty and a stop until the item is replaced.
Every distance, including the 10K, must carry:
Passport or ID card
Carried from start to finish.
A smartphone
With the LiveTrail app installed, international roaming switched on and the phone kept out of airplane mode.
At least 1 litre of water
In proper bottles or a bladder (no plastic bags).
A whistle and a cup
A reusable cup of at least 15 cl. Bottles with lids are not accepted.
A running pack
To carry it all.
20K, 50K and 100K add: a survival blanket, a first-aid kit, a self-adhesive elastic bandage, a sun cap or buff, a reflective or flashing light, a food reserve (about 800 kcal), a reusable bowl and spork for hot food at aid stations, and a GPS device loaded with the official GPX file.
50K and 100K also need: a hooded waterproof jacket with sealed seams and a power bank. Headtorches: two for the 100K, one for the 50K and one for the 20K, each with backup power. Phones and watches do not count as a light.
The organiser can activate an extra list depending on the weather, including leg cover, a warm long-sleeved layer, sunglasses and sunscreen. Read the full list on the official mandatory gear page and test everything in training.
Getting to Da Lat and to the start
International runners usually fly into Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City) and then take a domestic flight to Lien Khuong Airport, or travel 6–7 hours by road or sleeper coach. Lien Khuong was temporarily closed for part of early 2026, so confirm flights are operating before you book.
100K and 50K: start in the city
Both start in the centre of Da Lat at Lam Vien Square, by Xuan Huong Lake. Staying in the centre puts you within walking distance of both the expo and the start.
20K and 10K: start at Clay Tunnel
Both start and finish at Clay Tunnel, in the Tuyen Lam Lake area south of the city. Plan your own ride there.
Everyone: plan your ride back
The organiser lists transport as not available for every race. Book your own ride back to the city from the finish. The 50K course closes at 23:30 and the 100K at 08:00 on Sunday.
The courses
All four routes run through Da Lat’s pine forests, jungle sections and highland ridges. The organiser warns that the courses cross tourist sites and private land and are not safe to run outside the event, so do not recce them on your own.
- 100K LangbiangThe only race over all three named peaks. Paved city roads for the first kilometres, then a long climb to Langbiang Peak (2,167 m), forest trails around Suoi Vang Lake, the village of Gan Reo and its coffee farms, Elephant Mountain (1,815 m) and finally Pinhatt Peak (1,600 m) above Tuyen Lam Lake, before a lakeside descent to Clay Tunnel
- 50K ElephantCity roads out of Da Lat, then trails on the southern edge of the city, Gan Reo village, Elephant Mountain and Pinhatt Peak, finishing at Clay Tunnel. Expect relentless climbs and technical ground
- 20K PinhattA loop from Clay Tunnel with a steep up-and-down section straight after the start, primary forest, the summit of Pinhatt and a descent along the lake. Short, but not easy
- 10K Tuyen LamThe gentlest course, through grass hills and open pine forest with views over Tuyen Lam Lake. You still carry a cup or hydration pack
Course markings on the day override the GPX file, which was last updated on 19 October 2026.
Weather and altitude
1,500 maltitude, with cold pre-dawn starts
Da Lat sits at about 1,500 m. Mornings in January are cold, especially before dawn for the 03:00 and 05:00 starts, and the sun is strong once it is up. Runners coming from sea level should arrive a day or two early, start conservatively and drink regularly, even when it feels cool.
Where to stay
Stay in central Da Lat near Lam Vien Square if you are running the 100K or 50K: the expo, the start and the closing ceremony are all there.
For the 20K and 10K, a hotel in the Tuyen Lam Lake area shortens race morning, but makes Friday’s kit collection a longer trip. The organiser publishes accommodation suggestions on the official site.
Rules worth knowing before you travel
UTMB rules are stricter than most road races. These are the ones that catch people out.
Mandatory gear is checked at any time
It must be carried from start to finish.
Keep your phone on
Keep it on and reachable throughout the race. Airplane mode can earn a penalty.
Follow the markings
Always follow course markings rather than your GPX track.
The Vietnamese rules prevail
If the language versions of the rules disagree, the Vietnamese version applies.
Prize money and Finals entry
Prize money goes to the overall top three men and women, and the top three overall in the 100K and 50K earn direct entry to the 2027 UTMB World Series Finals (entry still has to be paid).
Still to confirm
Show the four open questions
Four details matter to a visiting runner and were unclear or unpublished when we last checked. The official site is the authority.
| Open question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Whether a gear inspection or certificate is required at check-in | Or only random checks on course |
| Any official shuttle between Da Lat, Clay Tunnel and Lam Vien Square | Whether you need your own ride to and from the finish |
| The exact distance of the 20K | 24.1 km or 22.8 km |
| Whether the 5K from early announcements will run | An option for friends and family |
The organiser answers through the contact page on the official site and on the Vietnam Highlands Trail Facebook page.
Sources
Show sources and photo credits
All race facts come from the official event site. Travel, weather and planning notes are our own.
- vietnamhighlands.utmb.world — entry info, event schedule, mandatory gear, the race pages for each distance and the travel page
Photo credits
Photos are from the organisers’ official race websites and remain theirs. Diagrams are our own.
- Trail runners on a highland ridge above Da Lat at sunrise. Photo: Vietnam Highlands Trail by UTMB, via the official race website
- Forested mountain ridges in the Lam Dong highlands. Photo: Vietnam Highlands Trail by UTMB, via the official race website
- Morning mist over a lake surrounded by pine forest near Da Lat. Photo: Vietnam Highlands Trail by UTMB, via the official race website
- A trail runner on a path through open pine forest near Tuyen Lam Lake. Photo: Vietnam Highlands Trail by UTMB, via the official race website
Keep reading
- Vietnam race calendar, Oct 2026 – Jun 2027
- Dalat Ultra Trail 2027 guide
- Eximbank HCMC Marathon 2027 guide
- Racing in Vietnam 101: heat, transport and travel insurance
- All race guides
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