The international Vietnam Mountain Marathon will take place on
October 5 in Sa Pa town in the northern province of Lao Cai.
Organisers have announced three routes: a half-marathon (21km), marathon (42km) and ultra-marathon (70km) for participants.
Nearly
150 runners from 25 countries in six continents have already registered
to test their skills at the challenging but picturesque race route
through Sa Pa’s beautiful landscape and stunning panoramas. The
number of race participants is expected to increase as the application
deadline is open until September 5.
The Danish Embassy,
co-organiser of the event, will send their representative Ambassador
John Nielsen, who has run in seven different marathons around the world,
to take part in the race.
Race routes will take runners
through rice fields, small villages and valleys situated away from main
roads and rarely visited by tourists.
A veteran runner from
Denmark and previous ultra-marathon winner will come to Sa Pa
one day ahead of the race to share his experiences and tips with locals
and other competitors.
Through the race, marathon runners
will donate part of their entry fee to support Sa Pa O’Chau, a local
organisation that provides education opportunities to people from ethnic
minority groups who did not finish school.
Topas Ecolodge,
an eco-friendly resort, and Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company,
are the two other organisers of the competition.
For
registration or more information, please visit
www.vietnammountainmarathon.com or
facebook.com/vietnammountainmarathon13.-VNA