Almost 1,000 foreign and domestic runners took part in the Vietnam Jungle Marathon 2019 which was held in Pu Luong Nature Reserve in the central province of Thanh Hoa on May 25. VNA reports.
Veronika Vadovicova from Slovakia triumphed in the women’s 70 km category, the event’s longest distance. She beat the 2nd and 3rd ultra male place in a total time of 8:35:51, while Hisashi Kitamura from Japan won the men’s event.
Veronika Vadovicova from Slovakia triumphed in the women’s 70 km category, the event’s longest distance (Photo: VJM)
In the 55 km, French runner Constance Louasse came first in the women’s race while Do Trong Nhon from host Vietnam finished first in the men’s category.
Paige Ann Madison from the US and Ha Nhat of Vietnam finished first in the women’s and men’s full marathon of 42 km, respectively.
Meanwhile, in the 25 km race, Stephanie Davidson from France secured the first place in the women’s category and Le Van Tuan Anh of Vietnam won in the men’s race.
Vietnamese Le Thi Lan and French Sebastien Houssin triumphed in the women’s and men’s 10 km routes, respectively.
According to VNA, This is the third race in the Vietnam Trail Series held by Topas Travel, aiming to encourage local sporting spirit and promote tourism. Topas also organises the Vietnam Mountain Marathon, one of the biggest ultra-running events in Asia.
Unlike Sa Pa town in Lao Cai province and Moc Chau district in Son La province, Pu Luong has seen few domestic and foreign tourists. The organising board has been working with residents of the finishing location, Ban Hang village, since 2017, and helped 30 households offer homestay services for visitors during the race.
Starting its business in Vietnam in the 1990s, Topas Travel has provided adventure tourism products and comfortable accommodation. Its Topas Ecolodge was put on the National Geographic’s list of most unique lodges in the world.