Since its inaugural edition in 2019, Vietnam Trail Marathon has been known for its blooming gardens, lush green tea hills and friendly local communities cheering runners along the route. This year, the race takes place during the Hmong New Year, which will be a rare and exciting opportunity for runners to be cheered on and welcomed by the Hmong people in their colorful traditional costumes.
The VTM finish line is also known as one of the most beautiful finish areas in the world, located in the middle of Moc Chau's beautiful Heart Tea Hill.
70km distance – Men's category
In the men's category, Do Trong Nhon, who holds the championship title in many races in 2024, including the Dalat Ultra Trail, will return to the Moc Chau race, where he won the VTM 70km runner-up position in the 2020 season.
Athlete Do Trong Nhon
Nhon shared: “My goal when returning to Moc Chau is to complete the challenging 70km route that I conquered in 2020 and at the same time improve the time compared to the milestone of 7 hours 56 minutes. In particular, I chose to return this year because I will have the opportunity to compete with international and Vietnamese athletes who are in very good form. The scenery of Moc Chau in the first days of the new year will be wonderful when you can welcome the sunrise under the green valleys of fruit trees. All these meaningful things urged me to register to participate in this year's season."
One of Nhon’s formidable opponents will be Godwin Mirar. Godwin is one of the promising young athletes from the Philippines. Godwin placed third in the Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VMM) 50km 2023, behind Champion John ‘Stingray’ Onifa – his compatriot and mentor, and is currently one of the top runners in the region.
Godwin and Nhon had competed together at the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championship, with Godwin finishing more than four minutes ahead of Nhon. “I prepared very well for this race. I really enjoyed running in Sa Pa and have always looked forward to running in Vietnam,” said Godwin.
This year, the race takes place right in the month of Tet of the H'Mong people.
Another strong contender is Gaetan Morizur from France, who was the 100km champion of VMM 2022. Other male contenders for the title include Nguyen Si Hieu, who finished with Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh (Tu Do) at VTM 2024, the pair taking second and third place in the 70km.
Another contender who has shared the podium with Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh is Nguyen Tien Vo, who won the VJM 70km 2024, with Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh coming in second. These close contests will make for a very interesting race in the men’s 70km category at this year’s VTM.
70km Distance – Women's Category
The women’s 70km race also promises to be a fierce contest among Vietnam’s elite trail runners. Coming from Sa Pa, home of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon, Giang Thi Linh will compete in the 70km following her impressive 100km win at VMM 2024. Linh is already familiar with the VTM trails as one of the race’s camera runners, capturing the female champion, Leslie Nowicki (France), as she set the women’s 70km course record (8:25:16) last year.
Participating in VTM this year, Linh shared: “With the upcoming Vietnam Trail Marathon (VTM) season, I aim to not only conquer personal challenges but also spread my spirit of perseverance and determination to everyone. I want to bring the image of a strong woman, always fighting to overcome all limits. This is not just a race, but a journey to affirm my passion and relentless efforts. I hope that the results I achieve will inspire young people and especially those who love sports and running that no dream is too big when we dare to pursue it.”
The women's 70km race also promises to be fiercely competitive among Vietnam's elite trail runners.
Another interesting match-up is between Champion Tran Thu Trang and Runner-up Le Phuong Vy in the 70km race at VJM 2024. Trang won by almost an hour, but the terrain of Moc Chau is very different from Pu Luong, so it remains to be seen who will perform better on the VTM track. In addition, just a month after the 70km race at VJM last October, Le Phuong Vy excelled as Champion at the VMM 160km (100 miles).
A notable name in the list of candidates in the Women's 70km category is Nguyen Thi Nguyet, who finished second at the VMM 100km 2024, more than two hours behind Giang Thi Linh.
Distance 42km
This year’s 42km race welcomes familiar names from the Topas Vietnam Trail Series races, such as Nguyen Ngoc Anh, the 2024 VTM 42km champion, and Thai Thi Hong, the 2023 VTM 42km champion. Another top competitor comes from the US, Tracy Ramberg. Tracy has participated in all four Vietnam Trail Series races, with notable results, including a win at the 2023 VTM 21km.
Also participating in the 42km distance this year is Nguyen Thu Trang, champion of Danang Ironman 70.3. With her excellent performance in triathlon, it will be interesting to see Trang compete with experienced trail runners in Moc Chau. Nguyen Xuan Tu, champion of VJM 25km 2024 and runner-up of VTM 21km and VMM 21km will participate in the men's 42km category.
The return of the SEA Games champion
The 21km race features a star runner – Pham Thi Hong Le, an elite athlete with an impressive track record, including a Gold Medal at the 31st SEA Games in Vietnam. Hong Le finished second at the VTM 42km last year, but in the shorter distance – 21km, she won the VTM 2020.
This year’s 10km distance will welcome two beautiful ladies: actress Phan Minh Huyen (Huyền Lizzie) and Le Phuong Anh (Phanh Lee). Previously, in March last year, the two beauties also participated in the 10km distance at Vietnam Ultra Marathon, Mai Chau, Hoa Binh.
Each Topas Vietnam Trail Series race contributes to charity. The amount of money raised by the Vietnam Trail Series as of January 2025 has reached 12.6 billion VND.
