The postponed Vietnam Mountain Marathon takes place this weekend at the Topas lodge in Sapa with domestic runners-only. That’s unfortunate but no longer real news in these challenging covid-19 months, and it certainly won’t spoil the fun. Saturday’s 100km main race in the men’s category contains is a who-is-who of the most succesfull trail runners in Vietnam over the past years. On paper, they are all competing against each other in the same race rather than being spread out over the various race distance categories of the event. That’s pure publicity for the sport and we are all excited to find out who comes out on top this Saturday.

It is not for nothing therefore that the Vietnam Mountain Marathon was granted the ATM SuperTrail label after the initial postponement of Dalat Ultra Trail in spring. That means the winner of the 100km race collects 550 points instead of the usual 500. This places one of the big favourites in a position to conquer the lead in the 2020/21 Asia Trail Master Championship ranking. Hung Hai already scored 500 in Dalat last June and is the winner of VMM the past two seasons! The 36-year-old multisport athlete will indeed takeover from Frenchman Gaetan Morizur if he comes first (+550) or second (+500) this weekend. Morizur himself will be in the race, too. The revelation of the Vietnamese season (read our Q&A with Gaetan Morizur here) was second in VJM a month ago (450 points) and can boost his total by maximum 100 points to 975.

Hung Hai and Gaetan Morizur will have to deal with more serious contenders for the race victory. Quang Tran is the 2017 winner and proved in smaller events this year that he remains a very strong trail runner on his day. Most likely he won’t be running VMM 100 if he weren’t ready for it, so we expect to see Quang Tran at his best again. Originally from France but residing in Vietnam like Morizur, Romain Berion was the new name in ATM who won the Vietnam Jungle Marathon last month. Berion is a former competitive cyclist and it will be great to see him going against the likes of Hung Hai and Quang Tran on those tough mountain trails around Sapa.

There’s more contenders for the podium, and who knows even the prestigious race win. Until a year ago, Nhon Trong was a champion of the 50k trail distance but since then he has also been trying out his fortunes on the longer ultra distances. If Nhon Trong can keep his speed going over 100 km, the others better watch out. When it comes to trail running experience, stamina and overall toughness, Quang Duc Nguyen can also never be discounted. Expect him to make up ground in the second half of the race, when some of the others may blow up in their enthusiasm. And what to think of the unexpected return of Cao Ngoc Ha? The number 8 of the 2017 Asia Trail Master Championship is making a return to high-level trail running after spending the past three years in - mainly - triathlon. Cao Ngoc Ha had some great results in ATM 2017, including a win at VJM. Yet, three years is a long time in competitive sports..

Other well-known competitors in the race who could aim for a podium are Phi Lanh Le and Trung Dang Nguyen, the numbers three and eight in the current ATM Championship ranking.

In the women’s 100km we will most likely get another dual between ATM Championship leader Julia Duong Nguyen Thi and VJM 70 winner Nguyen Thuy Dung, although it is not yet clear if the latter will run the 100k or 70k race this weekend.

Hung Hai: can he make it a hattrick in Sapa and claim the ATM Championship lead?

Return to the trail in Sapa: Cao Ngoc Ha!

Nhon Trong: could VMM become his real breakthrough?

After taking VJM, can Romain Berion repeat that feat in VMM? (pic: VJM)

ATM Championship leader Julia Duong Nguyen Thi has been second and third already at VMM, will 2020 be third-time lucky for the win?

VMM 100: Hard battle expected for prestigious victory!