VI
EN
Since its inaugural season in 2019, the Vietnam Trail Marathon has been known for its orchards in full bloom, lush green tea hills, and friendly local communities cheering on runners along the course. This year, the race takes place during the Hmong New Year, offering a rare and exciting opportunity for runners to enjoy the cheers and welcome of Hmong people in their vibrant traditional attire.
The VTM finish line is also known as one of the most beautiful finish lines in the world, nestled amidst the stunning Heart-shaped Tea Hill of Moc Chau.
70km distance – Men's category
In the men's category, Do Trong Nhon, who won numerous races in 2024, including the Dalat Ultra Trail, will return to the Moc Chau course, where he finished as runner-up in the VTM 70km in the 2020 season.
Athlete Do Trong Nhon
Nhon shared: “My goal in returning to Moc Chau is to complete the challenging 70km course that I conquered in 2020 and simultaneously improve my time compared to the 7 hours and 56 minutes mark. Specifically, I chose to return this year because I will have the opportunity to compete with international and Vietnamese athletes who are in excellent form. The scenery in Moc Chau in the early days of the new year will be amazing, especially watching the sunrise over the lush green valleys. All these meaningful things motivated me to register for this year's race.”
One of Nhon's formidable rivals will be Godwin Mirar. Godwin is one of the promising young athletes from the Philippines. Godwin finished third at the 2023 Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VMM) 50km, behind only Champion John 'Stingray' Onifa – his compatriot and coach, and is currently one of the top runners in the region.
Godwin and Nhon had previously competed together at the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championship, with Godwin finishing more than four minutes ahead of Nhon. Godwin said, “I prepared very well for this race. I really enjoyed the race in Sa Pa and I’ve always looked forward to running in Vietnam again.”
This year, the race is taking place during the H'Mông New Year month.
Another strong contender is Gaetan Morizur from France, the former 100km champion of VMM 2022. Other male contenders for the championship include Nguyen Si Hieu, who finished with Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh (Tu Do) at VTM 2024, the pair securing second and third place in the 70km race.
Another contender who previously shared the podium with Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh is Nguyen Tien Vo, who won the VJM 70km 2024, with Nguyen Duc Tuan Anh finishing second. These close competitions promise a very exciting race in the men's 70km category at this year's VJM.
70km distance – Women's category
The women's 70km race also promises fierce competition among Vietnam's top trail runners. Hailing from Sa Pa, home of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon, Giang Thi Linh will participate in the 70km race after her impressive victory in the 100km race at VMM 2024. Linh is also familiar with the VTM trails, having been a camera runner, capturing footage of the women's champion, Leslie Nowicki (France), when she set the women's 70km race record (8:25:16) last year.
Participating in this year's VTM, Linh shared: “With the upcoming Vietnam Trail Marathon (VTM), I aim not only to conquer personal challenges but also to spread my spirit of perseverance and determination to everyone. I want to present the image of a strong woman who always fights her hardest 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, especially those who love sports and running, that no dream is too big when you dare to pursue it.”
The women's 70km race also promises fierce competition among Vietnam's top trail runners.
Another interesting showdown is between Champion Tran Thu Trang and Runner-up Le Phuong Vy of the 70km race at VJM 2024. Trang impressively won against Vy by nearly 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 course. Furthermore, just one month after the 70km race at VJM last October, Le Phuong Vy excelled and became Champion at the VMM 160km (100 mile) race.
One notable name on the list of contenders in the Women's 70km category is Nguyen Thi Nguyet, who finished second at the 2024 VMM 100km, more than two hours behind Giang Thi Linh.
Distance: 42km
This year's 42km race welcomes familiar names from the Topas Vietnam Trail Series, such as Nguyen Ngoc Anh, the 2024 VTM 42km champion, and Thai Thi Hong, the 2023 VTM 42km champion. Another top contender comes from the US – Tracy Ramberg. Tracy has participated in all four Vietnam Trail Series races, with notable results, including a victory at the 2023 VTM 21km.
In addition, this year's 42km race will feature Nguyen Thu Trang, the champion of the Danang Ironman 70.3. With her outstanding performance in the triathlon, it will be interesting to see Trang compete against the experienced trail runners in Moc Chau. Nguyen Xuan Tu, the 2024 VJM 25km champion and runner-up of the VTM 21km and VMM 21km, will participate in the men's 42km race.
The return of the SEA Games champion.
The 21km race featured a running star – Pham Thi Hong Le, an elite athlete with an impressive track record, including a Gold Medal at the 31st SEA Games on home soil in Vietnam. Hong Le finished second at last year's VTM 42km, but in the shorter distance – 21km, she won at VTM 2020.
This year's 10km race will welcome two beautiful women: actress Phan Minh Huyen (Huyen Lizzie) and Le Phuong Anh (Phanh Lee). Previously, in March last year, the two beauties also participated in the 10km race at the Vietnam Ultra Marathon in Mai Chau, Hoa Binh.
Each race in the Topas Vietnam Trail Series contributes to charity. The total amount raised from the Vietnam Trail Series as of January 2025 has reached 12.6 billion VND.
