Ultra Trail Cao Bang 2026

Ultra Trail Cao Bang returns for its fifth season from 27 to 29 November 2026, with Ban Gioc Waterfall serving as the race hub and finish area in Cao Bang Province. Organised by Race Jungle with the provincial authorities and the Ban Gioc Waterfall tourism management board, the event has expanded to six distances: 160K, 100K, 70K, 42K, 25K and 10K. The 160K is new for 2026. Race Jungle's current partner material lists the event as ITRA 5 / UTMB 100M and targets about 2,000 participants.

The course network runs through Cao Bang's northern border landscape of limestone karst, forest, rural valleys and villages. Late November places the race in the transition from autumn towards winter, and the organiser specifically highlights the cooler conditions and seasonal scenery as part of the event character. The six courses use several different start points across the Ban Gioc and Trung Khanh area, but all are brought back to the Ban Gioc event hub.

The 160K starts at Ban Gioc at 16:00 on Friday with a 51-hour limit. The 100K starts from Vinh Quy Grassy Hill at 16:00 on Saturday with a 27-hour limit. Sunday begins with the 70K from Trung Khanh Centre at 03:00, followed by the 42K from Keo Giao Hamlet in Dinh Phong Commune at 05:00, then the 25K from Ban Gioc at 09:00 and the 10K at 10:00. Published overall limits are 16 hours for 70K, 14 hours for 42K, 10 hours for 25K and nine hours for 10K. The full course network closes at 19:00 on Sunday.

Organiser shuttles take 100K, 70K and 42K runners from the Ban Gioc hub towards their start areas, with category-specific bag-drop arrangements and return transport for runners who withdraw at checkpoints. Mandatory gear applies, with random checks permitted. The 160K, 100K and 70K also carry qualifying-experience requirements, or an iTRA Performance Index of 3 or higher, while the 42K requires previous completion of at least a 21K race.

International runners should note the border-area formalities. Non-Vietnamese participants must pay an additional VND 500,000 permit-processing fee and complete payment plus passport and Visa/TRC documentation by 9 October 2026. The organiser states that submissions after that date will be refused without a BIB-fee refund.