Athletes compete at Vietnam Mountain Marathon 2019. (Photo: Quoc Khanh/ VNA)

Hung finished first in the men’s 100km ultra marathon, becoming the first runner to win two consecutive VMM races. Chaimaime Thompson of Australia won the women’s 100km.

The annual event is co-hosted by the Lao Cai provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Topas Travel Company under the auspices of the Danish Embassy in Vietnam.

This year it attracted over 4,000 athletes from 46 countries and territories who raced along Hoang Lien Son mountain, considered to be the most challenging course in Vietnam.

Held for the first time in 2013, the VMM has become one of the biggest terrain marathon events in Asia. It raises money for charity activities and attracts many foreign visitors to Lao Cai.