Set for 6 December 2026 at the Saphangmo venue in Vientiane, Laos, this international marathon offers four distances. Registration isn't open yet and details are thin, but a full marathon in Laos is a genuinely rare proposition worth tracking.
Vientiane, Laos · Last updated August 4, 2026
The bottom line
The Vientiane International Marathon offers one of the rarest race propositions in Southeast Asia: a full marathon in Laos, a country with fewer annual road races than most Thai provinces. Four distances (42K, 21K, 10K, 5K) at the Saphangmo venue in the capital, and a December date that catches Laos's cool, dry season. The reliability score is low (20), registration isn't open, and the organiser hasn't been identified — so this is firmly in the 'watch, don't book' category. But for runners collecting country ticks, Laos is one of the region's hardest boxes to check.
Laos: The Rarest Country Tick
Laos has one of Southeast Asia's smallest running calendars — a handful of events in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. [1] A full marathon here is a genuinely rare opportunity for country-tick collectors. December in Vientiane is cool and dry, with morning temperatures in the mid-to-high teens — among the best running conditions in the region.
Should You Watch?
Don't book flights yet — the organiser isn't identified and registration isn't open. But for rare-country collectors, this is worth tracking. The 2026 edition is set for 6 December at Saphangmo, Vientiane. [1]