Ho Chi Minh City Marathon 2026

Do you want to learn how to tame your inner dragon to blaze on race day? 🔥

The spirit of the land of the dragon 🐉 will guide you to the finish line of the Ho Chi Minh City Marathon ! It's in the major city of Ho Chi Minh, formerly Saigon, that your next challenge awaits you 😎. As a fun fact, the city was renamed in 1975 in honor of Ho Chi Minh, the politician who led Vietnam to independence! 👏 Now that the historical aside is done 🤓, it's off to Vietnam! Even though Ho Chi Minh is not the capital, it's the largest and most populous city in the country 🤯. So you'll be running in an urban environment filled with history and unique culture! 😲 But beware, even though the race is in January, the city doesn't know cool weather 😳. So put away that parka, you'll need to bring out the shorts and t-shirt for the occasion! 🎽

And what an occasion! 🤩 Because yes, it won't just be a marathon! For novices or short-distance enthusiasts: a half-marathon and a 10 km are also on the schedule 📆. The best part is that you'll have the chance to see the same monuments regardless of the distance! 😉 Prepare yourself for a dramatic route, some say it competes with the best tourist visits in the city 🏙️. The start? None other than the Reunification Palace, an essential historical monument of the country 😍. But that's not all! Saigon Opera, President Ho Chi Minh Statue, Bitexco Tower, Thu Thiem Bridge... The list goes on but we won't spoil it all 🤫. A small but important detail: you'll have to be an early bird that day! 😴 Indeed, starts are between 3:00 and 4:15 AM depending on the events 😅.

The positive side is that you'll have the rest of the day to continue exploring Ho Chi Minh 😌. After having breakfast by the Saigon River, you can rise up (with the help of an elevator, no panic 😂) to the top of the Bitexco Tower ⬆️, the fourth tallest in Vietnam! 🇻🇳 To relax your legs and stroll in the center, head out to discover the pagodas. These sacred traditional buildings are scattered throughout the alleys and are worth a look! 🏛️ We know the walk will make you hungry, so head to the Ben Thanh Market 🍛 to discover Vietnamese delicacies: pho, spring rolls, summer rolls... 🥢 You are going to enjoy yourself (almost as much as during your run) ! 😋

Come and set the course of the Ho Chi Minh City Marathon on fire! 🐲