Race guide for Saturday 16 January 2027, Moc Chau
Vietnam Trail Marathon 2027
An independent guide for international runners: race week, the start, the course, the weather and where to stay.
Filling fast
Updated 29 Oct 2026. The organiser confirms 16 January 2027 for the ninth edition. One international calendar still lists 30 January; the organiser’s own site is the authority.
- Race day
- Sat 16 Jan 2027
- Distances
- 70 kmplus 50, 21, 10 and 5 km
- 70K start
- 05:00
- Race base
- Moc Chau, Son La
Vietnam Trail Marathon is part of the Vietnam Trail Series by Topas, alongside the Vietnam Mountain and Jungle Marathons. It runs in Moc Chau during the plum and peach blossom season, on runnable trails through tea hills, orchards, forest and villages reached only on foot. The thing to plan around: it is a Saturday race, about five hours from Hanoi, and every distance finishes at the heart-shaped tea hill.
On this page
Race week at a glance
Arrive by Friday. Everything happens on Saturday.
Fri 15 Jan
See your email
Arrival, registration and race kit (expected)
Moc Chau
Sat 16 Jan
From 05:00
70K (05:00), 50K (07:00), 21K (08:00), 10K and 5K (about 09:00)
Start near Muong Thanh Holiday Moc Chau
Start times come from the organiser’s distance pages and ticket listings. Starts are in waves: if you want to run fast, line up in the first wave.
Distances, start times and cut-offs
Distances and climb from the organiser and listings.
| Race | Climb | Start |
|---|---|---|
| 70K Ultra | About 3,000 m | 05:00 |
| 50K | See organiser | 07:00 |
| 21K Half (21.6 km) | About 1,000 m | 08:00 |
| 10K | See organiser | About 09:00 |
| 5K | See organiser | About 09:00 |
UTMB Index and ITRA
The courses are ITRA-certified and carry the UTMB Index; the race is also on the Asia Trail Master circuit.
Very steep in places
The organiser warns of very steep climbs even on the 21K. Train for hills, not only distance.
Finish at the tea hill
All distances finish at the heart-shaped tea hill, one of Moc Chau’s best-known views.
Collect your race kit
Race kit and registration are expected on Friday 15 January in Moc Chau. Times and place will be in your race email.
Bring two things:
Your passport
For ID at registration.
Your mandatory gear
Trail series races publish a gear list for each distance. Read yours before you pack.
Getting there
Moc Chau is on a plateau in Son La province.
From Hanoi by road
About 4–5 hours by car, limousine van or sleeper coach. Leave Hanoi on Thursday or early Friday.
Organiser transport
Topas has offered transport packages from Hanoi for earlier editions. Check the booking page.
Early starts
The 70K starts at 05:00 in the dark. Stay close to the start area.
Getting home
Plan your return to Hanoi for Sunday rather than Saturday night.
The course
Tea hills, orchards and villages.
The courses are mostly runnable trail through tea plantations, fruit orchards and flower fields, with forest sections, narrow paths, steep hills and valleys, and villages that can only be reached on foot. All distances end at the heart-shaped tea hill.
Weather
~5–15 °Ctypical January range on the plateau
Moc Chau sits at about 1,000 m and January is its coldest month. Dawn can be close to freezing, with fog, while days are often bright and mild. Dress in layers and carry a warm top on the long distances.
Where to stay
Central Moc Chau.
Hotels and homestays around the start area and the centre of Moc Chau are closest. The blossom season is popular with Vietnamese visitors, so book early.
Same weekend. Mang Den Ultra Trail runs 15–17 January, and the HCMC Marathon on Sunday 17 January.
Rules worth knowing before you travel
Standard trail series rules.
Start in your wave
Faster runners should start in the first wave.
Carry the mandatory gear
Missing items can stop you starting.
Respect the villages
The course crosses private farmland and villages. Stay on the marked trail.
Only you can run on your BIB
Use the organiser’s transfer process if you cannot race.
Still to confirm
Show the four open questions
These details matter to a visiting runner and had not been published in a form we could quote. The organiser is the authority.
| Open question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Registration and kit pickup time and place | Decides your arrival day |
| Cut-offs for each distance | Decides your pacing plan |
| Climb for the 50K, 10K and 5K | Decides how you train |
| Mandatory gear list by distance | Decides what you pack |
Sources
Show sources
Race facts come from the organiser, Topas, through the Vietnam Trail Series. Travel, weather and planning notes are our own.
- Organiser’s 21K page — distance, climb, start time and waves
- Vietnam Trail Series booking pages — 16 January 2027 race date
- Organiser’s Facebook page — ninth edition and distances
- Ahotu and TikPik — start times by distance
- WeRun — 70K climb, start location and UTMB Index
Keep reading
- Vietnam race calendar, Oct 2026 – Jun 2027
- Vietnam Highlands Trail by UTMB 2027 guide
- Racing in Vietnam 101: heat, transport and travel insurance
- All race guides
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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.