A December race on the river
The Can Tho Heritage Marathon takes place on December 20, 2026. It is an annual international road race, and it is staged in a city built around water. Can Tho sits on the Hau River, the southern arm of the Mekong, and its centre faces the river at Ninh Kieu wharf.
The “heritage” in the name points to the city’s older layer. That layer includes the Khmer and Chinese temples, French-era houses and the river markets that still trade from boats. December is dry season here. Humidity stays high all year, but rain is rare and the mornings are as mild as the delta gets.
Reaching Can Tho for race weekend
Most international runners fly into Ho Chi Minh City and cover the last 170 km or so by road. There are two usual routes:
- Bus: coaches leave Mien Tay bus station in District 6 throughout the day, and the trip crosses Can Tho Bridge, the long cable-stayed span over the Hau.
- Flight: Can Tho International Airport (VCA), in Binh Thuy district, has domestic connections to Hanoi, Da Nang and other cities.
- Private car: easy to arrange through hotels or ride-hailing apps.
Visitors usually stay in Ninh Kieu district. It is the walkable riverside core, with the night market and most mid-range hotels.
Start lines and the course
The organiser publishes the start location, distance categories, cut-off times and race-kit collection details on its official race page. Registration also runs through that page. These details belong to the organiser, so this guide does not guess at them.
What is stable is the pattern. Road races in southern Vietnam start in the dark to beat the heat, often before 5am, and the course closes by mid-morning. Runners typically collect bibs a day or two before. Most stay within a short ride of the start, because traffic closures make pre-dawn transport slow.
How runners spend race morning and the day after
Grab works across central Can Tho and is how most runners reach a pre-dawn start, since street taxis are scarce at that hour. Cash in Vietnamese dong covers street stalls. Hotels and larger restaurants take cards, and QR payment is common.
Post-race food is local and cheap. Typical orders include:
- Hủ tiếu, the southern rice-noodle soup, served from breakfast stalls
- Bánh xèo, crisp turmeric pancakes wrapped in herbs
- Cá lóc nướng trui, straw-grilled snakehead fish, a delta speciality
Many runners keep the next morning free for Cai Rang floating market. It sits a short boat ride downstream from Ninh Kieu wharf, where boats leave for it. Trading peaks around dawn, and wholesalers hang samples of their produce from tall poles so buyers can spot them from the water.
Back on land, Chùa Ông, a Cantonese assembly-hall temple from the 1890s, stands on Hai Ba Trung street facing the wharf. Binh Thuy Ancient House, a French-colonial-era family home with tiled floors and carved wood interiors, is a short ride out toward the airport.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Can Tho Heritage Marathon in 2026?
It takes place on December 20, 2026, in Can Tho, in Vietnam's Mekong Delta.
Where do I find the start location and registration?
The organiser publishes the start area, distances, cut-off times and registration links on its official race page.
How do I get to Can Tho from Ho Chi Minh City?
Coaches run from Mien Tay bus station in District 6 and cover the roughly 170 km by road, crossing Can Tho Bridge. Can Tho International Airport (VCA) has domestic flights from Hanoi, Da Nang and other cities.
What is the weather like in December?
December is dry season in the Mekong Delta. Rain is rare and mornings are relatively mild, but it stays humid, which is why southern Vietnamese road races usually start before dawn.
What can I do in Can Tho after the race?
Many runners visit Cai Rang floating market at dawn by boat from Ninh Kieu wharf. Others walk to Chùa Ông temple on the riverfront or head out to Binh Thuy Ancient House.
Plan your trip to Can Tho
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