Nguyễn Tiến Hùng reaches the finish line. — Photos courtesy of the organising board

SA PA — Nguyễn Tiến Hùng and Lê Phương Vy emerged victorious in the 160km category at the Việt Nam Mountain Marathon (VMM) 2024, which concluded in Sa Pa Town, Lào Cai Province, on Sunday.

Hùng claimed first place in the men's category with a time of 27:18:29, while Vy led the women's field with a time of 33:58:54.

In the early stages, Hùng battled closely with Nepal’s Sange Sherpa, a world-renowned ultra runner who had won another 160km race just a week prior. However, Hùng made a decisive move on a long downhill section, pulling ahead of Sange and extending his lead throughout the remainder of the race. Sange finished with a time of 29:03:49, while third place went to fellow Vietnamese runner Chu Tiến Hảo, who clocked in at 29:57:44.

Runner Sange Sherpa from Nepal.

In the women's category, Vy secured a convincing victory with her time of 33:58:54. She has demonstrated excellent form recently, having finished second at another Topas race - the Việt Nam Jungle Marathon 70km in late October. The second-place runner was Nguyễn Thị Đường, with a time of 34:49:31, followed by Lê Thị Hằng and Nguyễn Loan, who shared joint third place, crossing the finish line together in a true display of camaraderie after racing side by side for much of the event.

The 100km battle

The men's champion of the 100km was Henrique Nicolau from Portugal, finishing in 15:31:57. He was closely followed by Nguyễn Đức Tuấn Anh, who completed the race in 15:33:58. Vàng A Tung secured third place with a time of 17:07:38.

For the women's 100km, the top three runners included Sa Pa's own Giàng Thị Linh, who is Mông, with a time of 18:14:44, Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt with 20:21:35, and Hoàng Kiều Nhi with 20:41:51.

A runner is happy to complete the event.

In the 70km category, Wai Hung Wong from Hong Kong took first place with a time of 9:18:44, followed by Lồ A Dao at 10:05:44 and Julien Bonnard from France at 10:41:32. The women's champion was Nguyễn Quỳnh, who finished in 12:27:05. She was followed by Lưu Hồng Vân with a time of 13:22:21 and Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy with 13:29:56.

Hàng A Giàng claimed victory in the men's 50km with a time of 05:59:16, followed by fellow Vietnamese runners Lê Quang Hội and Ngô Văn Chính, who finished in 06:03:56 and 06:08:33 respectively. In the women's category, Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh was the champion with a time of 07:25:00, while Trần Duyên and Thái Thị Hồng followed closely with times of 07:32:23 and 07:34:44.

This year, the VMM, the oldest ultra-trail race in the country, attracted 4,000 trail runners from 42 nations, who competed on the scenic trails of Sa Pa under glorious sunshine, showcasing the region's majestic beauty.

Since 2013, the Topas Việt Nam Trail Series, which includes the VMM, has raised over US$500,000 for charity, highlighting a spirit of community and giving back. VNS