Frenchman crowned overall winner of Vietnam Trail Marathon

Vietnamese runner Pham Duc Luan came in second in the same race in eight hours and 46 minutes and Nguyen Van Long third, clocking in at eight hours 59 minutes and 38 seconds, the organizing committee announced hours after the race on Saturday.

In the women’s 70-kilometer race, Ha Thi Hau from Vietnam came out tops to cross the finish line in nine hours one minute and 45 seconds.

A French woman finished second in nine hours 30 minutes and 37 seconds and Vietnamese female runner Nguyen Thi Duong came third in 10 hours four minutes and four seconds.

In the men's 42-kilometer race, Vietnamese Ha Van Nhat finished first in four hours three minutes and 29 seconds while Nathalie Cochet of France won the distance for women in five hours 54 minutes and 25 seconds.

Robert Knobloch from Czech Republic won the men's 21-kilometer category in two hours 13 minutes and 34 seconds while a Miss McCullagh from Ireland triumphed in the same race for women in two hours 26 minutes and 40 seconds.

Vietnamese runner Tran Viet Thanh won the men's 10-kilometer race in one hour 21 minutes and 54 seconds and his peer Mai Thu Huong finished first in the women's category in one hour 21 minutes and three seconds.

Vietnamese Lo Van Hang triumphed in the men's five-kilometer race in 32 minutes and 43 seconds while his female counterpart Tran Nguyet Hue won the women's race in 42 minutes and 23 seconds.

This year, 4,300 runners from 41 countries ran through plum forests and tea hills in Son La Province’s Moc Chau District.

Organizers said around VND700 million ($30,374) will be distributed to local projects to help needy children and families in the poverty-hit province’s Moc Chau District.

Vietnam Trail Marathon was originally planned for Jan. 30, but deferred because of the nation’s third Covid-19 outbreak in northern Hai Duong Province.

The marathon is the third Vietnam Trail Series race organized by Topas Explorer Group, an independent tourism and athletics business owned by Danish businessman Jørgen Sølvsten Nielsen that is present in 36 countries, including Vietnam.

The earlier two races organized by Topas in Vietnam were Vietnam Mountain Marathon and Vietnam Jungle Marathon.