The Vietnam Trail Marathon, held on January 31st, attracted over 4,000 athletes from 43 countries competing on routes primarily located in Thao Nguyen ward.
Speaking with a reporter from the Agriculture and Environment Newspaper, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Van, Chairman of the People's Committee of Thao Nguyen Ward, Son La Province, said:
On January 31st, the Vietnam Trail Marathon (VTM) welcomed over 4,000 athletes from 43 countries to compete on the stunning trails of Moc Chau, with most of the routes located in Thao Nguyen ward, covering distances up to 70km. This will be the stage for dramatic competition between champions, top trail runners from Vietnam, and many notable figures from Asia and Europe.
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Athlete Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh on the race course. Photo: Organizing Committee.
According to the organizers: The competitionVietnam Trail MarathonReturning to Moc Chau for its eighth season, the event continues to bring the beauty of Moc Chau and trail running closer to a wider audience, with distances ranging from 5km to 70km. The race route takes athletes through tea hills, fruit orchards, pristine trails, ethnic minority villages, and especially the finish line at Heart-shaped Tea Hill – an impressive finish worthy of one of the biggest trail running events in Vietnam.
Some of the main distances include: 70 km for men and women; 42 km for men and women; 21 km for men and women...
Many Vietnamese and foreign stars have emerged in these distances:
In the 70km race for men, there are athletes.Lo A Dao(Sa Pa) and Vang A Tung will be participating. In addition, many other young talents from across the country will also be competing in this distance.
In the international group, athlete Yuta Matsuyama (Japan) is a notable name with a winning streak in 2025, including the MANTRA 116 race.
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Athlete Dening Lo (Singapore). Photo: Organizing Committee.
Two other promising contenders are Scott Pugh (England) and Philipp Secker (Germany), both of whom previously finished third in Vietnam.
In the women's 70km race, there is athlete Giang Thi Linh from Sa Pa, a former VTM 70km champion and former VMM 100km champion, returning to defend her title. Linh used to be a running cameraman for VTM, so she has a great advantage in knowing the race route.
Additionally, there is athlete Dening Lo (Singapore), a former champion in the 42km race. In 2025, he impressed with three victories, including the 66km race at MANTRA 116.
Another noteworthy athlete, making his first visit to Vietnam, is Ganapathi Ashwini (India), who boasts a runner-up finish in the 100km race at The Most Beautiful Thing and the championship title at The Great Mawla Ghaati Ultra Trail Run (75km).
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Athlete Yuta Matsuyama (Japan). Photo: Organizing Committee.
The race became even more exciting with Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, a highly accomplished athlete, closing out 2025 with six victories, including a win in the VJM 50km race. At the VTM race in 2025, Ngoc Anh finished fifth in the 42km race, behind Dening Lo.
In the men's 42km race, we will witness a competition between two teammates from the Sa Pa team: athletes Sung A Su and Ly A Song. Previously, at the VMM competition, in the 21km race in September 2025, Su had defeated Song to win.
Irish athlete Stephen Barkey, the 2025 VTM 42km champion, is also returning to participate. Last year, he defeated Sung A Su to win the VTM, before Su beat Stephen to finish as runner-up in the VJM 50km at the end of 2025. Will the 2026 VTM see the resurgence of the Sa Pa team or will Stephen continue his dominance?
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An athlete from last year's competition (2025). Photo: Organizing Committee.
In the women's 42km race, the following athletes are participating: Vanja Cnops (Belgium), returning to Moc Chau for the fourth time, a two-time champion in the 42km race and runner-up in the 70km VTM race in 2024, behind only Leslie Nowicki (France).
Vanja's opponent this time is Claire Jacquin (France), a former champion of the Trail du Pays Welche 20km race and runner-up in the Dolomythsrun Fass Trail 50km race. This is Claire's first time competing in Vietnam, and she hopes to bring home France's second consecutive victory in Moc Chau.
Outstanding Vietnamese representatives in this distance include athletes Phung Thi Trang (runner-up in VJM, 70km, 2025) and Phuong Thi Hong (runner-up in VMM, 70km, 2025).
The 21km race for men will be a contest between Tran Dai Sang, who returns to defend his title. Notably, Michal Lesniak (Poland) is also heading to Moc Chau. Having previously won the VMM 70km race and achieved numerous VUM podium finishes, Michal aims to kick off the 2026 season with an impressive performance in his first VMM race in Moc Chau.
The women's 21km race will feature three previous VTM champions: Tran Duyen, Thai Thi Hong, and Leo Thi Tinh, all competing in the 21km distance. Duyen will defend her 21km title in 2025, while Tinh was the champion in 2022 and 2024.
Meanwhile, Thai Thi Hong won the VTM 42km in 2025, and subsequently became the only Vietnamese female athlete to finish on the podium in the VMM 50km (third place). This achievement earned Hong a spot in the Hong Kong 100 “Half” World Trail Majors, which took place just one week before this year's VTM.
According to the Organizing Committee, in addition to the sporting events, a portion of the proceeds will be allocated to charitable activities. Accordingly, as of January 2026, the total amount of money raised for charity has reached 14.2 billion VND (approximately 544,000 USD).
The Organizing Committee believes that the Vietnam Trail Marathon is not only an international-scale trail running event, but also a meaningful activity that contributes to promoting the image of Moc Chau - the grassland, boosting tourism, spreading an active lifestyle, and connecting communities domestically and internationally.
Da Giang