VPBank Đất Sen Hồng Music Marathon 2026

VPBank Đất Sen Hồng Music Marathon returns to Cao Lanh for its fifth edition as one of the Mekong Delta's largest road-running festivals. The 2026 event combines a full marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K on Sunday 11 October with a separate 800 m KUN Fun Run for children on Saturday. By 28 September, organisers had recorded 15,545 adult entrants, including 617 marathoners, 2,966 half-marathon runners, 3,142 in the 10K and 6,820 in the 5K, plus another 2,000 children. Forty-one international runners from 16 countries and territories were also registered.

The adult races start before sunrise from the Văn Miếu Square precinct in Cao Lanh. The marathon begins at 03:30, the half marathon at 04:30, the 10K at 05:45 and the 5K at 06:00 according to the current official event website. A registration-platform schedule graphic published earlier lists the 10K at 05:30, so 10K runners should confirm the final flag-off in the organiser's latest race-week instructions. The 2026 routes have been surveyed, measured and standardised by technical staff and experts from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). The organiser's route-map page is still being updated, so ARC does not reproduce older route details that may no longer apply.

Race weekend runs from 9 to 11 October and is designed as a broader sports, music and cultural festival. Activities around the race village include an expo, local food and OCOP product areas, QR-based tourism activities, music and cultural performances, and an opening ceremony and concert on Saturday evening. The awards and closing ceremony are scheduled for 09:00 on Sunday.

The current registration page shows the event as sold out. The final advertised late-entry tier ran to 2 October. Race-kit collection is at Văn Miếu Square from 08:00 to 18:00 on Saturday 10 October. Runners must present photo identification plus their QR or assigned-bib code; authorised proxy collection is permitted with a signed authorisation. Organisers are also finalising race-day water stations, medical support, security and traffic arrangements. Because the main races begin well before dawn, runners travelling to Cao Lanh should plan transport to the start precinct accordingly.