Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Ho Chi Minh City)

A city that runs before sunrise

Saigon is a motorbike city. Roughly eight million scooters make the streets feel permanently occupied. On marathon morning, though, the central boulevards belong to runners, and that alone makes this race unusual.

The 9th edition of the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon takes place on December 6, 2026. It is the largest running event in Vietnam. That tells you what the start area will look like: wide avenues filled kerb to kerb with bibs, pacers and nervous chatter in a dozen languages.

The start line on Le Duan

The race begins at the junction of Le Duan and Nguyen Binh Khiem. It is one of the most recognisable corners in District 1. Le Duan Boulevard is a long, tree-lined avenue running from the gates of Independence Palace toward the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens (Thảo Cầm Viên). The zoo’s main entrance sits on Nguyen Binh Khiem, close to the start.

What surrounds the corral:

• Independence Palace, the 1960s modernist presidential palace at the far end of Le Duan
• Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon, the red-brick cathedral at Paris Square, a short walk from Le Duan
• Saigon Central Post Office, the French-colonial building right beside the cathedral
• Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, one of the oldest zoos in Southeast Asia, at the Nguyen Binh Khiem end

The official race website publishes the exact course map, including how the route links these landmarks for each distance.

Racing the heat on Le Duan

Timing here is all about temperature. Saigon is tropical all year. Even in December, the dry season, afternoons are hot and the humidity rarely lets up. City marathons in southern Vietnam traditionally start in the dark so runners finish before the sun climbs.

As a result, race morning feels like an early night out. Street lights are still on along Le Duan as runners gather. Many finish as the city’s cafés pull down their shutters and the first motorbikes return to the roads.

December is the most comfortable month for distance running in the city. The monsoon rains have usually stopped and mornings are at their mildest. Even so, runners from cooler climates generally treat the heat as the main challenge, more than the distance.

Distances, registration and the bib

The race website is where the distances, entry categories and registration links are published. Previous editions have offered a full marathon alongside shorter distances, so the field mixes elite and serious amateur runners with first-timers and groups of colleagues.

Bib collection at big Saigon races usually takes place at a race expo in the days before the event. Runners from overseas typically fly in at least a couple of days early, partly to pick up race kits and partly to get used to the humidity. Prices are not listed here; the current entry fees appear on the official registration page.

Getting to the corner before the city wakes

Getting to the start is the trickiest part of the logistics. Public transport is not set up for a pre-dawn crowd. Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien) has stations at Opera House and Ba Son, both within walking distance of the Le Duan area. The race starts long before most transit is busy, though.

Most runners use one of these options:

• Stay within walking distance. District 1 hotels near Le Duan, Dong Khoi and Ton Duc Thang are the obvious base, since the start is a short walk away.
• Ride-hailing apps. Grab and similar apps work at any hour. A car or motorbike taxi gets you to the edge of the closed roads, and you walk the rest.
• Hotel shuttles. Some larger hotels arrange race-morning transfers for guests.

Road closures around the course are normal on race day. Drivers drop runners at a side street rather than at the start line itself.

Race-morning manners in District 1

A few local habits make the morning go more smoothly.

Motorbike taxis are normal. Plenty of Saigon runners ride to the start pillion on a GrabBike. If you do the same, wear the helmet the driver hands you; it is the law.

Spectators line the sidewalks. Locals and running clubs cheer along the central streets, often with handmade signs and bags of water. A wave or thumbs-up goes down well, and “cố lên!” (roughly “keep going!”) is the shout you will hear most.

Cash still works everywhere. After the race, street vendors and small cafés may take only Vietnamese đồng, although bank cards and QR payments are now common in District 1. Tipping is not expected at street stalls.

Respect the closures. Once roads are closed, police and volunteers keep cars and bikes off the course. Supporters cross at the marked points rather than weaving through runners.

The post-race bowl

Saigon’s morning food scene is getting going just as the last runners finish. Breakfast here means phở, bánh mì and hủ tiếu (a southern noodle soup), mostly eaten on low plastic stools on the pavement. Iced Vietnamese coffee, cà phê sữa đá, is sweet and strong, made with condensed milk and poured over a glass of ice.

Finishers usually make a slow morning of the rest of the day. The landmarks around the start are a short walk apart. Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, the Central Post Office and Book Street (Đường sách Nguyễn Văn Bình) all sit together beside Paris Square. Tired legs can manage that loop easily. In the evening, the riverfront along Ton Duc Thang and the pedestrian street on Nguyen Hue are where the city comes out once it cools down.