After the recent addition of the Australia’s Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Miler (GPT100) to the second season of the Gran Canaria-sponsored World Trail Majors, a second race – the Vietnam Mountain Marathon – has been confirmed for the 2025 season.
The Vietnam Mountain Marathon, aka VMM, was first run in 2013 as the first mountain ultra in the southeast Asian country with just 200 participants in Sapa, 300km from the capital, Hanoi. Since then, the race has grown on the Asian mountain running scene. It now attracts over 4,000 runners from 50 countries in what is one of the biggest sporting events in the region and by far the biggest in the host city.
This year’s race gets under way on September 19, 2025. The VMM 100km packs 5,500m of elevation with a time limit of 28 hours. It starts from the town of Sapa in the northwest of the country and takes runners high into mountains, through bamboo forests and deep into rice terraced valleys where water buffalo roam.
The course passes through many small villages populated by various ethnic groups, making it both a cultural experience and trail running adventure.
Apart from the 100km Gran Canaria World Trail Majors series race, there are 10km, 21km, 50km, 70km race distances. A 100 mile event is also added on special years, with the next date to be confirmed in due course.
Vietnam Mountain Marathon also has a strong charitable ethos. It is part of the Topas Vietnam Trail Series, which has now raised over US$500,000 for charity.
