Trail running 

Nguyễn Sĩ Hiếu on the way to the finish line of the men's 50km in the Vietnam Highlands Trail – Hoa Sen Home Cup 2026. Photos courtesy of Nexus Sport Events.

LÂM ĐỒNG — Nguyễn Sĩ Hiếu and Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc took the top prizes at the Vietnam Highlands Trail – Hoa Sen Home Cup 2026 which was held on January 10 in Đà Lạt, Lâm Đồng Province.

They beat more than 1,000 domestic and international athletes to cross the finish line in first places in the race that took runners through the Xuyên Voi Mountain to Tuyền Lâm Lake.

Hiếu took the men's 50km title after a time of 7hr 15.21min. He was followed by Hoàng Văn Hơn and Nguyễn Phương Hiếu.

Meanwhile Ngọc finished with a time of 9:32.05, nearly three minutes ahead of her nearest rivals. 

Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngọc crosses the line in first place in the women's 50km.

Nguyễn Thị Nguyệt and Nguyễn Thị Đường were second and third, respectively.

Nguyễn Đăng Khoa and Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Anh were champions of the men's and women's 25km categories.

Hồ Văn Bình and Nguyễn Thị Phương Trinh finished first in the men's and women's 10km categories.

Although it was the first edition, all three distances were measured and managed under international standards. Athletes can receive world points here to qualify for the events of the UTMB Index and ITRA, the world's ultimate trail running circuits.

The two-day event, according to the organising committee, helped Lâm Đồng become an iconic trail running spot with praise earned for the professionalism of the staff and natural beauty of the destination .

The race applied the 'Leave No Trace' principle, using environmentally friendly materials, and collecting waste after the race.

It was expected that in the next season, the trail would continue to grow, expanding in scale and quality – becoming more explosive, more engaging and more deeply integrated with the international trail running community.

The Vietnam Highlands Trail – Hoa Sen Home Cup, Lâm Đồng 2026 was jointly organised by the Việt Nam Public Security Sports Association, Lâm Đồng People's Committee and Nexus Sport Events.

It was supported by title sponsor Hoa Sen Home and diamond sponsor, Bank of Investment and Development Việt Nam (BIDV). 

About 1000 athletes took part in the first Vietnam Highlands Trail.

Hoa Sen Home is a supermarket system for building materials and interior design under the Hoa Sen Group.

BIDV is the oldest financial institution in the country with a leading position in terms of total assets. For over 68 years, BIDV has contributed capital to most of the country's major projects. — VNS