Lam Dong Trail returns after a forced one year break

Vietnam trail running suffered one setback after the other at the end of last year as typhoons and other foul weather caused event cancellations throughout the country. Not so in 2026, luckily. After a very successful ATM Championship Final in Mu Cang Chai and the Grandmaster Quest event Vietnam Jungle Marathon, we are now heading south for Lam Dong Trail in Dalat. For the third time, the long distance ultra of 85km is an ATM Championship Qualifier and finishers also score a point for their Grandmaster Quest.

Lam Dong Trail is a traditional “Dalat Race” including beautiful passages through large pine forests, coffee plantations and a number of hill summits with exquisite views over the area. The event’s motto “Back to Nature” is indeed spot on. The 85km trail course may look gentle on paper, but many runners in the past found it treacherously underestimated. Weather can be anything and can change quickly, too.

The start list features names of runners who were registered for the cancelled 2025 event and transferred to this year. It is a bit of a question mark if all these will also be actually present this Saturday. Singapore-based American Humberto Baeza, for example, is someone we haven’t seen for a while. Baeza was the last race winner, though. Two years ago, he scored his first ATM race victory here ahead of Tran Van Nghia and Scott Pugh - also from Singapore. Fastest female in 2024 was Julia Duong Nguyen, ahead of Loi Luong and Pham Ngoc Dan Chau, who was an ATM Finalist for Vietnam last month. Let’s see who comes out on top this weekend!

The 85km race starts at 3 am local time.