Ha Long Bay hosts marathon from 20 to 22 November

Ha Long Bay hosts the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon from 20 to 22 November 2026, bringing a scheduled road race to the UNESCO-listed waters beside Ha Long. The official race day is 22 November, and the event is the current travel news point for visitors considering Vietnam in November.

Halong Bay Heritage Marathon runs from 20 to 22 November

The organiser has announced a three-day programme from 20 to 22 November 2026, with the main competition on 22 November. The race is presented as the eleventh edition and is part of the World Athletics Label Road Race system, according to the official 2026 race information.

The start and finish are at the Quang Ninh Exhibition, Planning and Expo Center on Tran Quoc Nghien coastal road. The course then follows the shoreline beside the bay, linking the sporting programme directly with the landscape that gives the race its name. The Vietnamese sports authority confirms the 20 to 22 November schedule and the 22 November race day.

Coastal race route meets a vast limestone seascape

The 2026 programme lists four distances: 42.195 km, 21.0975 km, 10 km and 5 km. The start and finish venue is in Ha Long, while the route is designed along the bayfront and is closed to traffic in both directions during the race.

UNESCO describes the wider Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago as a marine-invaded tower karst landscape in north-eastern Vietnam. The listed property covers 65,650 ha and includes 1,133 islands and islets, facts recorded on the UNESCO World Heritage page. That scale matters to the event: the race uses a developed coastal road while the limestone islands and islets form the setting beyond it.

November race brings a temporary change to the bayfront

For travellers, the most concrete change is on the road rather than on the water. The course is planned with both traffic directions fully closed, so road access along the relevant Ha Long waterfront will differ on 22 November 2026.

The event also gives the bay a different visitor context from a cruise itinerary. Runners and spectators will encounter the shoreline from the road system around the exhibition centre, while the heritage landscape remains the fixed geographical backdrop. No change to the regular cruise routes is stated in the race announcement.

Visiting Ha Long Bay: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• The event programme runs from 20 to 22 November 2026, with the main race on 22 November 2026 at the Quang Ninh Exhibition, Planning and Expo Center.
• The course runs along the Ha Long bayfront, and both traffic directions are planned to close on the race route during the event.
• Ha Long is in Quang Ninh Province in north-eastern Vietnam; the start and finish are on Tran Quoc Nghien coastal road at the provincial exhibition centre.
• The four listed distances are 42.195 km, 21.0975 km, 10 km and 5 km, so the programme includes both long-distance and shorter road races.
• Vietnamese is the official language and the national currency is the Vietnamese dong.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Ha Long Bay

When does the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon take place at Ha Long Bay?

The programme runs from 20 to 22 November 2026, with the main race scheduled for 22 November 2026.

Where is Ha Long Bay and how do you get there?

The bay is in north-eastern Vietnam, and the race start and finish are at the Quang Ninh Exhibition, Planning and Expo Center in Ha Long.

What is Ha Long Bay?

It is a limestone seascape within the UNESCO-listed Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago, which covers 65,650 ha and includes 1,133 islands and islets.