Ultra ASIA Race 2027: Dates, Course & Entry

Event Overview

Listed edition overview
Date	Mar 8-11, 2027
Location	Mai Châu, Vietnam
Format	Stage Race
Terrain	Mountain
Region	Asia
Distance / duration	160 km over 4 stages
Course model	Point-to-point
Elevation gain	Approximately 6,500 m
Elevation loss	Approximately 7,500 m
Field size	Places are limited, but the organizer publishes no cap and sets no entry deadline. In 2023, 20 runners from 11 countries entered. Seventeen completed all four stages within the time limits, 2 were ranked by distance covered and 1 did not start.
Highlights	Four Stages, Mai Châu Highlands

Ultra ASIA Race stages in 2027

Stage dates, distances, climb and descent, and time limits from the organizer’s 2027 program.

Ultra ASIA Race stages in 2027
Stage	Date	Distance	Climb / descent	Time limit
Stage 1	Mon, Mar 8	31 km	+1,000 m / −2,000 m	10 hours
Stage 2	Tue, Mar 9	49 km	+2,100 m / −1,900 m	10 hours, plus a cutoff at checkpoint 2
Stage 3	Wed, Mar 10	31 km	+1,900 m / −1,400 m	10 hours
Stage 4	Thu, Mar 11	49 km	+1,500 m / −2,200 m	10 hours; check-in at the Mai Châu Ecolodge that afternoon

The stages add up to 160 km with 6,500 m of climbing and 7,500 m of descent; the race rules give rounded totals of 6,000 m and 7,000 m. Runners spend the night before Stage 1 at Pa Cò, five hours by bus from Hanoi. In 2023 the stages were 30, 48, 30 and 48 km (156 km), and Stefan Kapellen won them in 3:45:33, 5:50:22, 4:40:00 and 5:32:30. The French version of the organizer’s page gives Stage 3 a 12-hour limit.

Sources: Official Ultra ASIA Race page and 2027 program; Official 2027 rules; Official 2023 results; Official Ultra ASIA Race page (French).

Course & Terrain

Four self-supported mountain stages linking villages and rice plantations around Mai Châu, with nights in traditional houses.

Key course features to know before comparing this race:

Muong villages and nights in stilt houses
Rice plantations in the mountain valleys around Mai Châu
From Pa Cò village to Mai Châu
Mountain stages near the Laos border

Mountain trails through rice plantations and between hillside villages in the Mai Châu highlands, with some technical sections. By the organizer’s stage figures the four stages total 160 km, with 6,500 m of climbing and 7,500 m of descent, so the route ends about 1,000 m lower than it starts. Stages 2 and 3 carry the heaviest climbing: 2,100 m over 49 km and 1,900 m in 31 km. Flags mark the course about every 500 m. Runners also carry a map, or road book, with distances and directions, and running without it costs a 3-hour penalty. The organizer recommends trekking poles.

The organizer expects 15 to 25°C by day and 10 to 15°C at night in March. Conditions can be humid, and rain can make parts of the route slippery. Rain clothes and a waterproof bag are on its list of highly recommended gear.

Entry & Logistics

Listed qualification and support details
Registration and fees	Check the official event website for current availability, deadlines, prices, taxes, and refund terms.
Qualification	No qualifying race. Anyone over 18 who accepts the rules can enter. Send the signed registration form, a passport copy and proof of assistance and repatriation insurance, then pay a deposit to secure a place; the balance is due 100 days before the event. In October 2026 the organizer listed the 2027 fee as €2,600 for entries from June 13, 2026, or €2,300 before that date, with flights not included. A medical certificate on the organizer’s form and a resting ECG, both dated after February 6, 2027 and signed by a doctor, must be shown as originals at check-in on March 6. Without them a runner can be withdrawn and lose the fee. Runners who cancel 100 days or more before the event get back everything except €600; after that there is no refund.
Support model	Checkpoints come roughly every 15 km, two or three per stage, and the water points at each day’s start and finish also count as compulsory checkpoints. Water is the only supply: the rules budget about 2 liters before the start, 4 liters during the stage and 4 liters at the finish each day, with none at other times. Runners need two 1-liter bottles, because the race gives out no bottles and no hot water. A sports-medicine team with assistance vehicles travels with the race and is posted at checkpoints, and it can stop any runner it judges unfit to continue.
Crew / pacers	No crew, no pacers and no outside help. Taking extra food or water costs a 1-hour penalty, and using any transport during the race means elimination. A runner who withdraws can ride with the organization from each morning’s start to the evening’s village, or be driven to the finish when that is possible, paying for their own lodging and meals. Participants may film or photograph for personal use only, unless the organizer approves.
Logistics note	Fly into Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport (HAN), 45 km north of the city center, and make your own way to the Thien Thai Hotel in Ba Đình district for the 2:00 PM meeting on Saturday, March 6, 2027. Administrative, medical and kit checks follow at 4:00 PM. On March 7 a bus leaves at 11:00 AM for the five-hour drive to Pa Cò, where runners spend the night with a local family. After Stage 4 on March 11, runners check in at the Mai Châu Ecolodge for two post-race nights, and awards are at 11:00 AM on March 12. The bus back to Hanoi leaves at 10:00 AM on March 13 and takes about four hours. Entry covers one hotel night in Hanoi and two in Mai Châu, race-week homestays with a small mattress, mosquito net and electricity, both bus transfers, three pre-race and four post-race meals, water, a medal and a T-shirt. Flights and airport transfers are not included.

Why This Race Matters

French organizer Canal Aventure, the trade name of Jérôme Lollier’s The Track Organisation in Rouen, started its Asian race as the Ultra INDIA Race in Kerala in January 2012 and moved it to Vietnam as the Ultra ASIA Race in 2016. It is the Asian leg of the organizer’s 5 Continents Challenge, formerly the Roadsign Continental Challenge, a points series with races in Africa, Bolivia, Norway and Australia. Romania’s Iulian Rotariu won here in 2020 on his way to becoming the first runner to win all five. The course stays in the Mai Châu highlands near the Laos border, crossing rice fields and ridges between Muong villages. Instead of the two-person tents used at Canal Aventure’s other races, runners sleep in stilt houses with local families.

Historical benchmark notes in the directory record (verify current records with the linked official sources):

2023 winners: Stefan Kapellen (Germany), 19:48:27, and Heather Gordon (Ireland), 21:06:50, second overall, on a 156 km course.
2020 winner: Iulian Rotariu (Romania), according to the organizer’s Hall of Fame.
2017 first woman: Ita Emanuela Marzotto (Italy), second overall.

Preparing for a Race Like Ultra ASIA Race

The stage race guide covers the format as a whole. These guides go deeper:

Stage race packing list: Mandatory kit, daily carry, camp bags, food and foot care.
Walking strategy for ultramarathons: When and how to walk by terrain, effort and cutoffs.
Hydration and sodium for ultramarathons: Fluid, sodium, thirst, sweat rate and hyponatremia risk.
Blister prevention: Socks, taping, lubrication, shoe fit and hot spots.

Best Fit

Runners who want a self-sufficient stage race with nights in village homes instead of a tent camp
Runners collecting races in Canal Aventure’s 5 Continents Challenge
Steady runners and strong hikers, since 10-hour stage limits and distance-based ranking keep slower runners in the race

Planning Notes

Study the mandatory gear list early and rehearse carrying the exact pack weight you expect to use on race day.
Train for terrain-specific fatigue. Technical trails and mountain courses demand downhill durability, hiking efficiency, and reliable night lighting.
The directory does not mark this as having simpler logistics. Confirm qualification, terrain, support, registration, medical, and withdrawal requirements before planning around it.
Stage 2: 49 km with 2,100 m of climbing, a 10-hour limit and an extra cutoff at the second checkpoint
Pack rules: 5 to 15 kg without water, with a 3-hour penalty for breaking the weight limit or missing compulsory kit
Water comes only at set points, so two 1-liter bottles must last between checkpoints about 15 km apart in humid conditions
Slippery trails after rain on steep descents, with 7,500 m of downhill in four days

Event FAQs

When is the Ultra ASIA Race in 2027?

The four stages run from Monday, March 8 to Thursday, March 11, 2027, around Mai Châu in northwest Vietnam. Runners meet at the Thien Thai Hotel in Hanoi at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 6 for checks, take the bus to Pa Cò on March 7, attend the awards on March 12 and return to Hanoi on March 13. Allow eight days on the ground in Vietnam.

How long are the stages of the Ultra ASIA Race?

The organizer lists four stages for 2027: 31 km with 1,000 m of climbing, 49 km with 2,100 m, 31 km with 1,900 m and 49 km with 1,500 m. That makes 160 km with 6,500 m of climbing and 7,500 m of descent, though the race rules round the totals to 6,000 m and 7,000 m. The 2023 edition was slightly shorter at 156 km (30, 48, 30 and 48 km).

What happens if I miss the cutoff at the Ultra ASIA Race?

Each stage has a 10-hour limit, and Stage 2 also has a cutoff at the second checkpoint. A runner who misses a limit or stops at a checkpoint can start again the next day if the medical team agrees. They stay in the overall standings but are ranked by total distance covered, behind everyone ranked on time. In 2023 two runners were ranked this way, with 142 km and 91 km.

What do you have to carry in the Ultra ASIA Race?

Food for four days, at least 2,000 kcal a day (8,000 kcal in total), plus a sleeping bag and compulsory kit. That includes a lighter, a knife with a blade of at least 3.5 cm, a signal mirror, a whistle, a survival blanket, a headlamp with spare batteries, cooking utensils, eight solid-fuel tablets, a first-aid kit, salt tablets and two 1-liter bottles. Gas stoves are banned. The pack must weigh 5 to 15 kg without water.

How much does the Ultra ASIA Race cost?

The 2027 entry fee is €2,600, or €2,300 for runners who registered before June 13, 2026. A deposit secures a place, and the balance is due 100 days before the event. The fee covers staff and medical support, bus transfers from and to Hanoi, three hotel nights, the race-week homestays, several meals, water, a medal and a T-shirt, but not flights. Cancellations made 100 or more days out are refunded minus €600.

Verification & Sources

Verification scope: the listed edition's date, location, format, and available logistics were checked against the event-specific official sources below during the directory review dated October 25, 2026. Organizers can revise details after review.

Official Ultra ASIA Race page — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/ultra-asia-race
Official 2027 rules — https://www.canal-aventure.com/wp-content/uploads/UltraASIARace2027-Rules.pdf
Official 2023 results — https://www.canal-aventure.com/wp-content/uploads/UltraASIARace2023-Results.pdf
Canal Aventure entry fees, inclusions and cancellation policy — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/dates-entry-details
Canal Aventure history and team — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/canal-aventure
Canal Aventure Hall of Fame — https://www.canal-aventure.com/en/hall-of-fame
Official Ultra ASIA Race page (French) — https://www.canal-aventure.com/ultra-asia-race
Multiday Running event directory review scope: October 25, 2026.