World Trail Majors VMM Sapa showdown
From 17 to 20 September, Sapa will host the 13th edition of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon presented by Kailas Fuga. Following its World Trail Majors debut in 2025, the race returns with stacked international fields in both the 100KM and 50KM World Trail Majors distances. The weekend programme also includes 10km, 21km and 70km events, as well as a 100-mile race.
Vietnam Mountain Marathon was founded in 2013 with just 200 runners, becoming the country’s first mountain ultramarathon. Thirteen editions later, the event welcomes more than 5,300 runners from 54 countries and territories, and has established itself as one of Asia’s leading trail running races.
VMM’s identity is inseparable from Sapa. Its courses pass through bamboo forests, summit mountains and weave through rice terraced valleys and small ethnic villages. The scenery, challenging terrain and warm local welcome make VMM as much a cultural experience as a sporting one.
The race became part of the World Trail Majors circuit of 10 independent races in 2025. This year, the impact of the circuit inclusion can be seen with an elite athlete line up, the calibre of which has never been seen before in Vietnam.
Defending champs take on international 100km field
The VMM 100km is one of the two World Trail Majors distances in Sapa, and on the men’s and women’s sides, the level is higher than it has ever been. With six countries represented by seven elite women, this race is set to deliver a fierce showdown for both the VMM 100km title, and crucial World Trail Majors points.
Ha Thi Hau returns to the Sapa trails for the first time since her breakthrough year in 2022. In 2026, she finished 9th at Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run and won Hong Kong 100 – putting her firmly in the hunt for the World Trail Majors 2026 title.
Leading the international challenge is Antonina Iushina, who arrives with the highest ITRA index in the field. Her recent wins at Ultra-Trail Australia 100 Miles and a solid 8th at UTMB highlight her strength. The defending champion, Wenfei Xie, is back to defend her title after another impressive victory at Ultra Trail East North 168 this year, proving her resilience and top form. Meanwhile, Ying Li comes in hot as the World Trail Majors Mt FUJI 100 winner.
Maryline Nakache, winner of the Marathon des Sables, finished second at South Downs Way 100 in the World Trail Majors. Elizabeth Dangadang, the Philippines national champion, brings even more regional firepower to an already stacked field.
Completing the lineup is Saegusa Moeka from Japan, whose recent victories at Okumusashi Long Trail Race 105K and a third-place finish at Izu Trail Journey 70km underscore her rising star status.
On the men’s side, the line up is just as international. Aleksei Beresnev arrives with proven form across Asia, having recently claimed commanding victories at UTMB Chang Dao 100 Miles in Thailand and Dalat Ultra Trail 100km in Vietnam. He’s eyeing a VMM – Ultra Trail Cape Town double for his World Trail Majors season. Terunobu Kurokawa is another serious contender, coming off a 2026 victory at Nara Ishibutai 100 and a fourth-place finish at Mt. FUJI 100 as part of World Trail Majors.
Defending champion, Ngo Van Chinh of Kailas FUGA took a recent third-place finish at TMBT. With the advantage of racing on his home soil of Sapa, something that has proved to be significant at VMM before, Chinh will be one to watch when the battle for the podium unfolds.
Roka Magar Man Kumar will make his Vietnam debut off the back of a win at the 9 Dragons 50-50 and 2nd Australia’s Buffalo Stampede. Arnie Macaneras returns with unfinished business. He was first across the finish line in the VMM 100km previously, only to be disqualified for a mandatory kit violation. He accepted the decision with great sportsmanship and vowed to return… where will he finish this time around? Second at the South East Asia Trail Running Cup shows his recent form is good.
Simon Withers, sixth at the WTM South Downs Way 100, and Vasilii Korytkin add even more depth to what promises to be an exceptionally open men’s 100km race.
Stacked 50km Field
VMM’s other World Trail Majors distance, the 50km, saw Fuzhao Xiang and JianJian Yang win last year.
The top ranked runner by ITRA points, Yuri Yoshizumi of Japan has bagged a host of wins this year, plus two solid World Trail Majors results: 2nd at Mt. FUJI 100 Asumi 40k and 4th at the Hong Kong 100 Half. Nepal’s Ram Maya Budha, winner of the 2025 World Trail Majors Hong Kong 100 Half and 3rd place at Ultra Trail Cape Town comes to Sapa in winning form off two 2026 victories.
Having already bagged a World Trail Majors win at the South Downs Way 50 in 2026, Rebecca Bunting of the UK, will be hoping to back up her victory. A proven weapon on the road and flatter trail courses, now she tests her speed on the bigger hills of Sapa. Marcela Vašínová, has proven strength on mountainous terrain in Asia as well as Europe, with a string of very solid results in deep fields, including the Maraton Du Mont Blanc 90km.
Cho Yu Lam arrives as Hong Kong’s National 30km Champion. Two runners who are very accustomed to Vietnam are Belgium’s Vanja Cnops and Vietnam’s own Thai Thi Hong. Vanja has scored multiple wins in Vietnam, ranging from 21km to 70km, while Thai Thi Hong will be carrying the home nation’s hopes for a good result, having placed 3rd in the VMM50km last year.
Meanwhile, in the men’s race, Ruqin Wang of Kailas Fuga is aiming to build on his impressive victory at the World Trail Majors Mt. FUJI 100 Asumi 40K, with the potential to move to the top of the 2026 series leaderboard. His performance sets the stage for a compelling rematch with Rui Ueda, the renowned Red Bull athlete and former Skyrunner World Series champion, who finished just behind Ruqin by a narrow margin at FUJI. Ueda has also claimed victories at the Central Alps Skyline and Xtrail 100 Trail Running Challenge this season, making him a key contender in Sapa.
Australia’s George Knight adds further firepower, having won the Buffalo Stampede 100KM in 2026 and finishing as runner-up last year at the World Trail Majors Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Miler. Billy Curtis, another Australian, secured second place at the MIUT 56km earlier this year. Having been based in Sapa for several weeks leading into the race, Curtis is both primed and eager to make his mark on the course.
Rommick Tongkaling is another runner in excellent form, recently winning the Short Trail at the Southeast Asian Trail Running Cup. From Romania, Cornel Miron has had a busy 2026, racking up a series of podium finishes across various races, demonstrating his resilience and versatility.
Originally slated for the VMM 50km, Ricki Wynne from Ireland plans to leverage his proven short-distance Irish punch in the longer 50km race, aiming to make an impact on the competitive field.
Three young runners complete the line up: Bo Cai from China, Lok Yin Lo of Hong Kong, and Sapa’s own Sung A Su.
The Return of VMM 100-Miles
Held every other year since 2022, this is the third edition of the VMM 100 miles (161km). The men’s field is headlined by South Korea’s Junghyun Lim, who arrives in Vietnam on a scorching run of form following back-to-back victories at the Geoje 100K and TNF 100 Korea. He faces a stern challenge from Japan’s Yuta Matsuyama, a runner intimately proven on technical trails, coming off a podium at the Lampang 100 and a victory at Mantra116.
Poland’s Michal Lesniak adds further intrigue, stepping up to the triple digits after proving his raw speed with a victory at the Vietnam Trail Marathon 21km earlier this year. The local charge is led by Nguyen Si Hieu, a veteran of the Sapa trails looking to improve on his 2022 podium finish. His season has included a 4th place at Rinjani 100 and his tactical experience in the Hoang Lien Son mountains makes him a perennial threat. He is joined by Nguyen Tien Vo, champion of Vietnam Jungle Marathon.
In the women’s 100-mile race, all eyes are on Man Yee Cheung. The Hong Kong star returns to Sapa, the site of her dominant 2023 100km victory. Man Yee has won the Mount Fuji 100 miles, the GPT100 miler and Rinjani 100, making her the clear favorite. However, a trio of Vietnam’s finest, Nguyen Thi Tra Giang, Giang Thi Linh, and Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh, will look to utilize their home-soil advantage, particularly Linh who was born and raised in Sapa.
The 70km: Double Defending Champs Return
Ritzy Amor Ectin of the Philippines arrives in Sapa undefeated in 2026, having swept victories at the Merapoh 100-miler, Ultra Singapore, and the Cameron Ultra. She enters as the woman to beat, testing her perfect season against the relentless climbs of the VMM course. However, she will face the defending champion, Luu Hong Van and her compatriot and second place 2025 finisher, Phuong Thi Hong Nhung.
In the men’s race, the defending champion is another Sapa local, Vang A Tung. One of Vietnam’s youngest trail talents, he knows every rock and root of this course. His fellow Sapa resident, Ly A Song, is stepping up in VMM distance, having taken a podium spot in 2025.
Their two main challengers come from overseas. Member of the national Philippines trail squad, Randolph Gonzales has won in Vietnam before, taking the 21km win in Mai Chau. Hong Kong’s Chi Kan Yuen, meanwhile, is making his Vietnam debut, following his fourth place at his national trail championships on a 68km course.
Deepest ever VMM 21km line up
Six men from six nations come with serious trail pedigree to the hills of Sapa. Chief among them is Portugal’s Bruno Golcalves, whose last three victories have been across 27km, 52km and 114km. His fellow Kailas FUGA athlete and Sapa local, Sung A Phu, was the VMM 50km second place last year and he recently took a silver medal at the 2026 Southeast Asia Trail Running Cup. Fuk Cheung Tsang of Hong Kong, Youngjo Kim of South Korea and Tony Scotton of France, bring more international firepower.
While the 21km is actually clocking in at 23km this year with some course adjustments, the course record could be under threat in the men’s and the women’s race, with Cristina Arreiol of Portugal with two recent wins at the 30km distance. She will face three women who each have multiple podiums to their names: Nguyen Thi Mai and Tran Duyen of Vietnam, and Yim Ching Li from Hong Kong.
An impact far beyond the race
Vietnam Mountain Marathon’s relationship with its surroundings extends far beyond the course. Through the Vietnam Trail Series, the organisers have raised more than US$570,000 for social causes since 2013. The funds have supported education projects in local villages, helped vulnerable children through the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation, funded surgery through Operation Smile and supported the work of Newborns Vietnam.