The seventh Ultra Trail Hà Giang & Discovery Marathon will be held on April 3-5 in the beautiful rocky and challenging routes in Tuyên Quang Province. Photos courtesy of Race Jungle

TUYÊN QUANG — Breath-taking natural views and running excitement are all waiting for athletes at the Ultra Trail Hà Giang and Discovery Marathon 2026 this weekend.  

In the seventh edition, runners will test their physical strength over four trail courses of 25km, 42km, 55km and 70km on April 4. Meanwhile, athletes can race to the top podiums in three hill-road routes of 6km, 12km and 21km a day later.

All distances begin in the centre of Mèo Vạc Commune, formerly Hà Giang, now Tuyên Quang Province. The event is jointly organised by Race Jungle and Thể thao và Văn hóa (Sports and Culture), a newspaper of the Việt Nam News Agency. 

Tough routes and magnificent views are waiting the trail runners.

The tournament is not only one of the province's largest sporting events, inviting runners to tackle the rugged highland terrain of northern Việt Nam, but also a journey to honour and promote the natural heritage of the border region. 

The locality has long been well-known for its picturesque buckwheat flower fields and vibrant markets. It is also home to jagged and rocky terrain and breathtaking mountain trails and sweeping valleys. 

They will trail through the most beautiful routes in Việt Nam, passing Đồng Văn Global Geopark, admiring the sunrise in the Stone Plateau, amazing the emerald green Nho Quê River, standing at the Tu Sản Canyon, climbing the 20km Mã Pí Lèng Pass, and checking in Pả Vi Plateau and Happiness Road among many other challenges and landmarks. 

Running in the Ultra Trail Hà Giang & Discovery Marathon, athletes can admire the breath taking scenery of the Hà Giang rocky plateau.

Athletes will run through remote villages inhabited by ethnic minorities, ensuring a race experience rich in both natural beauty and cultural encounters. Challenging elevation changes and varied surfaces test the endurance and resolve of all who take on the course. The event is infused with a strong sense of camaraderie and adventure, set against the stunning and untamed backdrop of one of Việt Nam’s most remarkable regions.

This will be the last time of the hill road distances and the organisers want to make the best ending possible. 

The Hà Giang rocky plateau offers challenges of rugged terrain, high elevation, and long routes through mountains and forests and also give participants relaxing moment with the beauty of nature.

Marathoners will run through Tô Đúc Village, which is said to be as beautiful as the stunning villages in Switzerland, enjoy the crowded and lively atmosphere of the Mèo Vạc weekend market and immerse themselves in the beauty of Mã Pí Lèng Pass and Happiness Road. 

Replacing the Hill Road distances will be something new and surprising for participants in the next edition, according to organisers. 

It could be a super-long trail of 100km or even 160km with certain challenges. It could also be a multi-day trail race with a range of distances or a road running across the Việt Nam-China border. It could also be the first time an aquathlon event offering swimming and trail challenges for runners. — VNS