Cuc Phuong Jungle Paths Marathon: 2026 race guide

The organizer lists December 27, 2026 for this event. Recheck the final participant guide for the represented distance’s start and travel details.

Use the official race website first. If an athlete guide is published, treat it as the reference for expo, bib pickup, and start procedures.

Registration rules vary by event and year. Use the official website and registration page links above, and confirm any lottery windows, qualification rules, and transfer policies before you plan travel.

Pick a plan length that matches your base and injury history (often 16–24 weeks), then train backward from race day and include a taper.

Pace by effort on climbs and avoid chasing splits uphill. Start conservatively and protect the final 10K.

Race-specific long runs, fueling practice, and dialing in pacing cues. Avoid late ‘hero’ sessions that spike injury risk.

Use the pace calculator to explore scenarios, then anchor training by effort and recovery. Your goal pace should be earned in training, not guessed on race week.

Practice your fueling schedule in long runs and use a conservative default early (carbs, fluids, and sodium). Adjust for heat and your gut tolerance.

Treat heat as a pacing variable. Start more conservatively, fuel and hydrate earlier, and practice one or two long runs with heat adjustments so your race-day plan isn’t improvised.

Protect sleep and keep the plan simple: arrive with a buffer, keep walking low, rehearse transport to the start, and avoid adding new workouts or new foods late.

Start practicing early — not in the final week. Rehearse the same gel/fluid schedule during long runs at steady effort so your gut tolerates it under load.

The current 2026 programme puts the 42 km start on December 27 at 7 a.m., near Ngheo village in Thanh Hoa. The planned 42 km shuttle leaves the national-park gate between 5 and 6 a.m. The 75 km and 100 km races start the previous evening; their start times and drop-bag arrangements do not apply to the 42 km entry. The programme is labelled provisional, so recheck the final athlete booklet and shuttle booking instructions.