Vietnamese runner conquers the mountains to win 100km ultramarathon in Sa Pa

By Staff reporters September 24, 2017 | 01:04 am PT

After running all day, Tran Duy Quang held off an international field to clock a time of 13 hours and 17 minutes.

Vietnamese marathon runner Tran Duy Quang outpaced 111 competitors to finish first in the 100-kilometer trail at the 2017 Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sa Pa on Saturday.

Quang left behind strong contenders from the Philippines and Denmark to cross the finish line in 13 hours and 17 minutes to become the first Vietnamese winner of the day-long race.

“I was aiming for the 15-hour mark but luckily I was able to outdo myself today,” said Quang, who finished fourth last year. “I’m exhausted after running for over 13 hours straight, but I feel amazing.”

Quang on his race to victory. Photo courtesy of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon Facebook Fanpage.

Quang on his road to victory. Photo courtesy of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon Facebook page.

Champion Quang and the runner up. Photo courtesy of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon Facebook page

According to the organizers, the 100km trail is the hardest discipline at the event and covers all types of mountainous terrain, including river crossings.

Before the race kicked off, David Lloyd, the race director, anticipated that Quang could win big in the ultramarathon this year as he finished runner-up at the Vietnam Jungle Marathon in May.

Other than the 100km trail, runners also competed over distances of 10km, 21km, 42km and 70km.

The tournament, founded in 2013 by Danish tourist company Topas Travel, is among one of the biggest ultra-running events in Asia. This year's event attracted the participation of 2,500 people from 50 countries to race distances ranging from 10km to 100km.