Lam Dong Trail: race schedule, bib pickup and a guide for supporters

The 85 km is provisionally set to start at 3 am on November 7. If you are traveling with someone running it, agree in advance on who takes them to the start, where to pick them up and how you will stay in touch during the day.

When is Lam Dong Trail, and what happens when?

The expo, race kit collection, start, finish and awards are all at the Valley of Love tourist area (Thung lũng Tình Yêu), 3-5-7 Mai Anh Dao Street, Lam Vien ward, Da Lat. Venues may change; updates go on the race website and Facebook page.

Source: Lamdong Trail athlete page (lamdongtrail.vn), read October 15, 2026. The schedule is labeled as updated January 7, 2026, so compare it with the instruction email the organizers send closer to race day.

Start times and cut-offs by distance

The rules already list provisional cut-offs at some checkpoints; check the update before the race, as these times may change. The 85 km page, for example, gives CP2 at 9 am, CP4 at 2 pm and CP7 at 7:30 pm, and these are the times by which you must leave a checkpoint, not reach it. Runners more than 15 minutes late for their start are not allowed to race.

Where do you collect your bib, and what do you bring?

• When and where: Friday, November 6, 8 am to 9 pm, at the expo in the Valley of Love. 5 km and Kids Trail runners collect on Saturday, November 7, 8 am to noon. There is no late collection and the hours will not be extended.
• What to bring: the instruction email with your QR code, plus your passport or Vietnamese ID. The FAQ is inconsistent on whether photos of documents are accepted, so bring the originals.
• Collecting for someone else: bring the authorization letter, the QR code and ID for both the runner and the person collecting, and follow the authorization instructions the organizers send before the race.
• Kids Trail: children collect with a parent or guardian, bringing the child’s birth certificate and the accompanying adult’s ID.
• Check at the desk: check your race pack before leaving the desk; the organizers say they will not resolve missing-item claims afterward. T-shirt sizes can only be swapped after collection hours, if stock allows.

The deadline for bib transfers and distance changes (October 1, 2026, under Article 5.8) has passed. Running on someone else’s bib without the organizers’ approval voids your insurance and can void your result. If you still have no instruction email by early November, contact [email protected] or the hotline +84 96 886 9509 (9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday).

Getting to the start and dropping off your bag

The organizers do not provide transport to the start. Parking, including for cars, opens at 1:30 am on November 7; the location will be posted on the race’s Facebook page. The Valley of Love is about 5-6 km north of the city center; directions are in our Valley of Love guide.

• When to arrive: bag drop is open 1:30-2:30 am for the 85 km, 3-4 am for the 55 km, 5-6:30 am for the 25 km and 7-8 am for the 15 km. Per the provisional schedule, the four longer races warm up at the stage from 40 to 20 minutes before their start; the 85 km, for example, warms up 2:20-2:40 am for a 3 am start.
• Taxis and ride-hailing: a car at 2 am is not guaranteed, so book the evening before or ask your hotel whether it can arrange a ride.
• Supporters on a motorbike: roads are dark, misty and cold, so dress warmly and ride slowly.
• After the race: runners who drop out or miss a cut-off are driven to the finish by the organizers; the FAQ mentions buses back to accommodation for this group, which still needs confirming.

Mountain passes into Da Lat

Check conditions on the passes close to your departure date, and travel to Da Lat early enough to collect your bib on your distance’s pickup day.

For buses, see Ho Chi Minh City to Da Lat; for flying into Lien Khuong Airport, see flights to Da Lat.

Which rules can get you disqualified or cost you money?

No refunds, even if the race is postponed for weather. Article 8.1 says fees will not be refunded in any case where the race is canceled or postponed. In heavy rain, strong wind or landslides, the organizers may reroute, shorten, postpone or cancel; the FAQ mentions “the most favorable policy” for runners without saying what it would be.

• No outside assistance: runners may not accept water, food or pacers other than what the organizers provide (Article 7.3). Friends at the roadside cannot hand over snacks or drinks.
• Children and strollers: runners must not lead or carry children, or push strollers, onto the race course, including the finishing stretch (Article 7.8).
• Littering: if you are caught, or reported with photo evidence, your result is not recognized. Keep gel wrappers in a pocket until the next checkpoint.
• Report a withdrawal: go to the nearest checkpoint or call the emergency number on the back of your bib. Runners who miss a checkpoint cut-off must leave the course and are recorded as DNF.
• Insurance: accident cover of VND100 million per runner (Bao Minh Gia Dinh); the page gives two date ranges (November 7-8 and November 6-8).

Mandatory gear

Gear checks are random. Missing a mandatory item can mean being barred from the start or losing your result, and the 55 km and 85 km carry an added time penalty.

The 5 km minimum age is inconsistent: Article 5.4 says 6 and over for the 5 km and Kids Trail, while other sections say Kids Trail 6-15 and 5 km 16 and over. Families with children aged 6-15 should check with the organizers.

Early November weather, and the 2025 postponement

On long-term averages, November in Da Lat has a mean low of about 14.6°C (58°F) and 11.5 rainy days, much drier than October. The organizers warn that early mornings can drop below 13°C (55°F), with fog. Those are climate averages, not a forecast.

Last year’s race, planned for November 7-9, 2025, was postponed on November 6 by the Lam Dong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism over concerns about Typhoon Kalmaegi (Tuoi Tre, November 6, 2025, in Vietnamese).

• Follow the official channels (email, website, the race’s Facebook page) from before your trip until the end of your race day, including November 8 for the 5 km and Kids Trail.
• Book rooms and transport with clear cancellation terms. The entry fee is not refundable, but your hotel and bus tickets are separate contracts.
• Supporters waiting outdoors for hours need a windproof layer and a rain jacket.

Temperatures, rainfall and layering tips are in our Da Lat weather in November guide.

Where does the course go?

Most of the course lies within the Langbiang Biosphere Reserve, across Da Lat and Lac Duong. The distance pages describe the routes like this (read October 15, 2026):

• 85 km: the reference description on the distance page (which still says “Lamdong Trail 2025”) mentions Langbiang at sunrise, technical and slippery Bidoup forest, and the hills and streams of Da Sar. Check the 2026 route against the GPX (still being updated) and the latest instructions, and do not use these landmarks to plan a meeting point yet.
• 55 km: the website describes Radar hill, pine forest, farmland and small streams. Its introduction still refers to 2025, so check the latest GPX and race instructions before planning around these landmarks.
• 25 km and 15 km: pine forest trails, hillside paths, steep climbs and slippery ground; wild sunflower hills on the 25 km, red basalt soil and a hilltop cloud viewpoint on the 15 km. The 15 km introduction also still refers to 2025, so check it against the latest GPX and instructions too.
• 5 km: pine forest and gentle slopes; the Kids Trail has its own course.

Aid stations offer water, electrolyte drinks, bananas, watermelon, boiled potatoes, instant noodles or porridge, and gels. The number and location of stations appear only on the map images.

For a supporter’s own mountain walk while waiting, see our Langbiang hike guide.

Where should supporters wait, and what can they do meanwhile?

The start and finish are in the same place. Before promising to meet anyone at the finish line, ask the organizers how far supporters can go and whether non-runners need a park ticket on race days (on normal days the park sells tickets and opens 7 am to 5 pm; see tickets and hours).

The latest finish is a limit, not a prediction. Agree on a meeting point near the finish and ask your runner to text you after the last checkpoint.

While you wait

• Wild sunflowers: early November is usually when the yellow wild sunflowers (dã quỳ) bloom thickly around Da Lat; routes are in our Da Lat wild sunflowers guide.
• Evening jazz: the jazz festival is planned for the evening of November 6 on Lam Vien Square and November 7 in front of Hoa Binh Theater. For set times and entry, see our Da Lat jazz festival guide.
• Recovery: beyond the race recovery area, for a massage in town see Da Lat massage.
• Drones: if you plan to bring a drone, ask the organizers about the rules in the race area and check the permit requirements before your trip.

Where to stay on a weekend with a race, jazz and live shows

The race weekend also overlaps with the jazz festival and two Mây Lang Thang live music shows in Da Lat. Once your dates are fixed, compare room prices for your exact nights and favor cancellation terms that suit you.

When booking, also ask whether you can get back into the property after 10 pm (55 km and 85 km runners), whether an early or packed breakfast is available, and what the cancellation terms are if the race moves. Streets with budget rooms near the center are in our cheap hotels in Da Lat city center guide; for a larger group, see Da Lat homestays.

If you see the organizers publish the course map, parking location, supporter areas or a schedule change, let us know and we will update this page. More Da Lat planning is on our Da Lat travel guide home page.