Known among fellow runners as the “Vũng Chua Mountain Sparrow” for her agility and endurance, the 1982-born athlete took on the event’s longest distance on January 22, 2026. The race drew around 1,800 athletes from Vietnam and abroad, offering eight distances ranging from 3 km to 250 km across pine hills, primeval forests and highland slopes that tested competitors’ physical and mental limits.
Phương Anh’s race began with immediate challenges. In the opening kilometres she suffered from low blood pressure, dizziness and nearly fainted, forcing her to stop to rest and refuel.
“At one point, I considered seeking medical help, but thinking about my husband, who would compete the next day, I didn’t want to affect his mindset. So I told myself I had to push on,” she said.
The difficulties continued throughout the race. Lost luggage meant she could not change shoes as planned, leaving her feet increasingly sore. She also realised that underestimating the need for proper rest before resuming the race had been a costly mistake during the gruelling journey.
The final three kilometres proved the most demanding. Exhausted, Phương Anh entered a hallucinatory state, imagining she had already finished the race and replaying familiar scenes in her mind. Two runners overtook her while she remained disoriented.
Only when a race official congratulated her for nearing the finish line did she regain full awareness.
Soon after, she encountered a confusing intersection marked by dense course signs. Her GPS watch malfunctioned as a result of her wandering, leaving her uncertain about the correct direction. Fortunately, the junction also connected with the 187 km route. She joined a group of runners and maintained her pace, ultimately crossing the finish line in second place in the 250 km category.
For Phương Anh, trail running is more than a sport. Before discovering it, she had endured a difficult period battling depression.
“Life’s disappointments left me devastated. Fortunately, my husband was always by my side, encouraging me and never letting go,” she said.
Although she had long lived in Quy Nhơn Nam, she had never visited nearby Vũng Chua Mountain until her husband took her to Quy Hòa beach one day to lift her spirits. By chance, they noticed a group of people heading up a mountain path and decided to follow them, a spontaneous decision that would change her life.
She began exploring the Vũng Chua trails at the end of 2021, initially running just 2 to 5 km at a time to improve her health and meet new people. Gradually, the steady runs through nature helped stabilize her mental state.
A major turning point came in September 2023, when she competed in the Vietnam Mountain Marathon in Sapa, known for its demanding terrain. Although she originally registered for the 70 km race, she switched to the 50 km distance after failing to meet the requirements. With only six weeks to prepare, she and her husband trained on their own.
The result exceeded expectations: Phương Anh finished first in the 40–49 age group, completing the race in 9 hours and 45 minutes, well within the 18-hour-30-minute cutoff. The victory confirmed her passion for trail running and revealed endurance as one of her strengths.
In just two years, she has competed in 12 races, half of them trail events, achieving notable results. Despite a demanding job and limited training time, her husband continues to support her quietly, often choosing shorter race distances but attending nearly every event to accompany her.
Reflecting on her latest challenge, Phương Anh said she still does not know where her limits lie. With talk of future races extending to 500 km, the “Vũng Chua Mountain Sparrow” is already setting her sights on new goals.
From her first tentative steps on Vũng Chua Mountain to a 250 km race across the Lâm Đồng highlands, Phương Anh’s journey reflects more than athletic achievement. For her, trail running has also marked the recovery of her spirit after difficult years, and the beginning of new ambitions ahead.
