Vietnam Mountain Marathon results 2015

Posted in Blog

The participants from 45 countries have join the Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa by Topas Travel & Denmark Embassy in Hanoi.

Sanya Khanchai (from Thailand) and Samantha Young (from USA) are the male & female winners for the 70-km racers.

We proudly welcome Mr. Sanya Khanchai to VMM 70km.
The ultra-champion of Thailand, now signed up for Vietnam Mountain Marathon ready to race to his limits.

Vietnam Mountain Marathon

24-27nd of September 2015. (Race day 26th of September)

Welcome to the hardest run in Vietnam! VMM is Unique trail running of 10km, 21km, 42km or 70km in a spectacular mountain region of north Vietnam.

Welcome to the mountains of Vietnam to thousands of yellow rice fields, water buffaloes and colorful ethnic minority groups. The small dirt roads and narrow trails will take you through the majestic mountains and valleys that are only used by locals. Each route will encompass challenging climbs, exhilarating descents and a true glimpse of local life through the rice fields and ethnic minority villages.

In general

The trails – with cumulative positive vertical meters ranging from around 1000m (21km) to round 3000 meters (70km) – will be on a marked route, tagged at crucial navigational points. Water and fruit will be available at aid stations every 10-15km. Runners doing the marathon or the ultra-distance must bring their own additional energy bars, gel or personal food and other important mandatory equipment (see equipment). Given the altitude and general hard conditions this cannot be your first Full or Ultra Marathon.

Very strong sun or heavy rain is always a possibility in the mountains. Any participation in this unique event is completely at your own risk and you will be required to sign a waiver in order to participate.

After the race we will enjoy the very special social life of mountain runners and a good meal around a big bonfire where we can share our running experiences, the mountains and the twinkling stars above. Bring your family, your friends or join this unique event on your own. You don’t have to be a fast runner, but you better be tough and looking for a unique adventure of hiking or running.

You can also extend the journey and make the race a part of a longer active adventure in Vietnam.

Sanya-Khanchai Sapa Travel

How to get to Sapa:

Airport/Train/Bus
We recommend all runners to buy a 3 or 4 days runners package from Hanoi, to the mountains and back to Hanoi.

From Hanoi International Airport
In order to reach the Bus Stop for your journey from Hanoi to the mountains, you need to calculate emigration at the airport, maybe 30min, plus 1 hour of driving from the airport to the Bus Stop. We can arrange your airport pickup to the Bus Stop or to your hotel in Hanoi center at the price of 15US$ per person.

Take the VMM bus to the mountains, packages runners only.

If you arrive during the morning/noon, you can leave your luggage at our VMM meeting point for free.
The meeting point is SumVilla Restaurant, which has 2 address:
– For motorbike or vehicles less than 29 seats: 100 Quang An street, Tay Ho Dist. Hanoi;
– For all kind of vehicles: Address: Ho Tay Villa, 10 Dang Thai Mai St., Tay Ho Dist. Hanoi.

From here you will pick up your departure at 1:00 PM

Hotel in Hanoi
Sapa Travel is a co-organizer of VMM and are happy to assist you in finding the best hotel for your budget. www.travelsapa.com

Traveling on your own to Hanoi/Sapa by bus or train
If you just want to buy the run and nothing more, we recommend that you buy your train ticket and hotel room minimum one month prior to the race and your bus ticket minimum one week before. Look out for bad dealers/buses/trains. Train Route: Hanoi- Lao Cai- Hanoi. Mini buses are running from Lao Cai Station to Sapa, be aware of bad mountain driving and high prices. We often hear that the total price are higher then when buying a package. Buses do drive directly from Hanoi to Sapa but they will stop many times and pick up other travelers along the road.

Arrive in Sapa and participate in VMM
Once you are in Sapa town, travelling on your own, we will take care of your transfer to the start and back to Sapa after finish. See the program pages