In short: The Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon 2026 runs on Sunday 6 December, starting at 3:30 am on Lê Duẩn – Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm. Before the race: arrive early, keep your legs easy and float gently on Friday or Saturday evening. After it: a short cold plunge, a few rounds of sauna and cold, then a float to land. Book weekend slots early.
You have the bib, the flight and the training block behind you. What is left is the part most plans skip: three or four days in a hot, loud, wonderful city, a 3:30 am start, and legs that will feel every one of those 42.195 kilometres on Monday. This guide walks you through race weekend from landing to flying home, with a simple plan for resting before the start and recovering after the finish, so the trip feels as good as the medal.
Race weekend at a glance
This is the ninth edition of the race, organised by Sunrise Events Vietnam with Techcombank as title sponsor. Organisers expect a record of more than 24,000 runners, and the race sits inside Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week (4 to 12 December), so the city will be busy. Here is what the official site and the press confirm so far. Details can still change, so check them with the organisers closer to the date.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December | Race days and the Marathon Village, with a larger layout this year |
| Saturday 5 December | A standalone 5 km race (new this year) and the Kids Run |
| Sunday 6 December, 3:30 am | Main race start on Lê Duẩn – Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, District 1; marathon distance 42.195 km |
| Still to be announced | Finish area and Marathon Village location for 2026 |
Before the race: land, adjust, stay easy
Arrive by Thursday if you can. A 3:30 am start means an alarm around 2 am, so your body clock matters. Flying in from Seoul or Tokyo, you only cross two time zones, and the early start actually suits you. From Europe, Australia or the Americas, give yourself more days. Our jet lag guide for Vietnam has a simple day-by-day plan, and if your flight lands before hotel check-in, see what to do when you arrive early.
Respect the heat. December is the start of the dry season, but Saigon mornings are still warm and the air is humid. Humid air slows the cooling effect of sweat, so an easy 5 km shake-out can feel harder than at home. Run it early, drink through the day and keep the sightseeing short.
Float on Friday or Saturday evening, gently. A float is about the least demanding thing you can do for your body before a race. You lie back in about 25 cm of warm water with dense, mineral-rich Epsom salt, so the water carries your whole weight, at 33–34 °C, close to skin temperature. No impact, no stretching to do, no noise. Sixty minutes is enough. Friday evening is the sweet spot: it calms race nerves and leaves Saturday free for your kit, an early dinner and bed. If you have never floated before, choose Friday rather than the night before the race, so nothing on race eve is new. Save the sauna and the cold plunge for after the finish.
After the finish: cold, heat, then float
First things first: eat, drink, change into dry clothes and sleep. A long nap on Sunday does more than any gadget. Once you have refuelled, this is the order we suggest, based on our contrast therapy guide. It is Ōmni’s suggestion, not a medical protocol, and you can stop at any step.
- Race afternoon: a short cold plunge. When your legs feel hot and heavy, the cold plunge (7–12 °C) feels wonderful. Enter slowly and breathe out long and slow. First time: 30 seconds to 2 minutes is plenty.
- Race evening or Monday: float. 60 to 90 minutes, after you have eaten and rehydrated. Many runners tell us their legs and body feel lighter right after.
- Monday: sauna and cold rounds, then float. 10 to 15 minutes in the infrared sauna with red light (45–55 °C), a short cold plunge, 2 to 5 minutes of rest with water, for 2 to 3 rounds. Then finish in the float room, where everything settles.
Wait with the float if you have raw blisters or chafing, because the salt stings. After a marathon, keep the sauna on the short side and drink more than you think you need. For the research on recovery after running, read our guide to float therapy for runners and gym recovery.
Ōmni Evidence Scale: Strong evidence, for float and stress. Several trials point the same way. We rate it Strong because, on top of these trials, user experience is overwhelmingly positive: in a 2025 survey of regular floaters, 92% reported relaxation and 77% less stress, echoed by thousands of reviews, Reddit threads and forums, and by athletes and public figures who float. See how we rate evidence on the Ōmni Evidence Scale.
Ōmni Evidence Scale: Promising, for cold plunge and hot-and-cold rounds after hard exercise. A meta-analysis found less soreness than passive rest, though the trials are small. Float for perceived soreness after exercise is Early evidence: small trials in athletes point the same way.
A sample 4-day race trip
| Day | Morning | Afternoon and evening |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 3 December | Land, check in, short walk in daylight | Light dinner, early night |
| Friday 4 December | Easy shake-out run, early | Race kit and Marathon Village; 60-minute float in the evening |
| Saturday 5 December | Family runs the 5 km or Kids Run; you rest | Early dinner, kit laid out, bed by 8 pm |
| Sunday 6 December | Race starts 3:30 am | Eat, nap, a short cold plunge; float in the evening if you feel like it |
| Monday 7 December | Sleep in, slow breakfast | Sauna and cold rounds, then a 90-minute float; leave your bags with us if you fly out tonight |
Flying home on Monday night? Ōmni keeps up to 4 suitcases while you float and shower, and our last-day guide for late-night flights fills in the rest of the day. With a spare afternoon, wander Thảo Điền, the leafy riverside neighbourhood where we are.
Getting around on race weekend
The start is in central District 1. Ōmni is in Thảo Điền, across the Saigon River to the east. The easiest way between them is Grab, Vietnam’s ride-hailing app (car or motorbike, price shown before you book). Type “Ōmni Space, 16C Quốc Hương”. Metro Line 1 also has a Thảo Điền station, with stops in the centre at Bến Thành, the Opera House and Ba Son. On race morning many central roads close and public transport may not run yet at that hour, so follow the organisers’ transport notes for getting to the start.
Book early: race weekend fills up
Thousands of runners, their families and Tourism Week visitors all arrive in the same few days, and weekend evening slots go first. If you know your plan, book the Friday float and the Monday session before you fly. Running again in January? See our guide to recovery for the HCMC Marathon 2027. In town for the Vietnam Expo at SECC that same week? Our SECC trade fair guide is for you, and our calendar of major events in Ho Chi Minh City lists what else is on.
Your race recovery at Ōmni Space
Ōmni Space is at 16C Quốc Hương, Thảo Điền, open 9:00–21:00 every day, with the last float starting at 20:00. Float, infrared sauna with red light and cold plunge are all under one roof, from the team that opened Vietnam’s first float centre, Float Vietnam, in 2017. A float is 1,500,000 VND for 60 minutes or 2,000,000 VND for 90 minutes. The sauna or the cold plunge is 450,000 VND on its own, or 200,000 VND added to a float. The whole sauna and cold plunge room for up to 4 people is 900,000 VND for 60 minutes, a nice way to recover with your running crew. No swimsuit needed for the float room or the sauna; for the cold plunge, bring your own (we do not lend swimwear). Online booking is paid by bank transfer, and international cards are accepted at the counter. Guests rate Ōmni 4.8 ★ across 72 Google reviews (25 October 2026).
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When is the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon 2026?
Race weekend is 4 to 6 December 2026. The main race starts at 3:30 am on Sunday 6 December on Lê Duẩn – Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm, District 1, and a standalone 5 km and the Kids Run take place on Saturday 5 December. Check the latest details with the organisers.
Should I float before a marathon?
A gentle 60-minute float on Friday or Saturday evening is a calm way to rest your legs and settle race nerves. If it is your first float, do it on Friday rather than the night before the race.
What is the best order for cold plunge, sauna and float after a marathon?
Eat, drink and rest first. On race afternoon, a short cold plunge of 30 seconds to 2 minutes. On Monday, 2 to 3 rounds of 10 to 15 minutes of sauna, a short cold plunge and a few minutes of rest, then finish with a float. No study has tested one best order; this is Ōmni’s suggestion.
Do I need a swimsuit?
Not for the float room or the sauna. For the cold plunge, bring your own swimsuit, as the counter does not lend swimwear.
Can I leave my luggage at Ōmni on my last day?
Yes. Ōmni keeps up to 4 suitcases while you float and shower, which helps if you check out of your hotel before a late flight.
Written by the team at Ōmni Space – Float Saigon in Thảo Điền. General information, not medical advice; race details and prices checked on 4 November 2026.
Sources
- Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon, official website.
- Vietnam News. Techcombank HCM City International Marathon to be held in December.
- VietnamPlus. Khởi động giải Marathon Quốc tế Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh Techcombank mùa thứ 9.
- Bieuzen F, Bleakley CM, Costello JT (2013). Contrast water therapy and exercise induced muscle damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE.
- Driller MW, Argus CK (2016). Flotation restricted environmental stimulation therapy and napping on mood state and muscle soreness in elite athletes. Performance Enhancement & Health.
- Racinais S et al. (2015). Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat. British Journal of Sports Medicine 49(18): 1164–1173.
- Kjellgren A, Westman J (2014). Beneficial effects of treatment with sensory isolation in flotation-tank as a preventive health-care intervention: a randomized controlled pilot trial. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 14: 417.
- Hilpert K, Chis Ster I (2025). Experiences and perceptions of regular floatation-REST users: results from an online survey. Journal of Clinical Images and Medical Case Reports 6(5): 3600.