Hanoi (VNA) - Almost 3,100 runners from 42 nations and territories willrace up to 70km on trails through orchards and tea fields in the Vietnam TrailMarathon (VTM) in Moc Chau district, northern mountain province of Son La, onJanuary 11.

The number of runners at the second edition of VTM is up by 65 percent comparedto year one, making this the biggest one day event by Topas.

In the men’s 70km race, last year’s VTM 70km champion, Tran Duy Quang, willreturn. He will compete with a new star from Vietnam's running community, DoTrong Nhon who took second place at his early trail races including VietnamJungle Marathon 55km and Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VMM) 70km in 2019.

They will also be competing with strong runner from Hong Kong Ka Hei Lam, whowon the Raleigh Challenge Wilson Trail in 2018.

In the 70km female battle, VMM 2018's 100km champion Evelyn Lek of Singaporewill be competing with Nguyen Thi Duong, who has been on many ultra runpodiums.

In the 42km, the overall Vietnam Trail Series champion Trinh Nam Hai will beback and so will his female counterpart, Belgium’s Vanja Cnops, who also wonVTM in 2019.

This year she will be competing with Joane Etiene, a strong runner fromSwitzerland.

Lining up with more than 1,000 10km runners at this year’s event is BritishAmbassador Gareth Ward, who will be running on trails for the first time.

Like other races by Topas, 20 USD from every long distance (21km-70km)registration goes direct to charity.

More than 920 million VND (almost 40,000 USD) will be divided between localprojects around Moc Chau, Newborns Vietnam, which works to increase lifechances for newborn babies, and Topas’s new charity partner Blue Dragon, whichhelps end human trafficking and to provide care to Vietnamese children andfamilies in crisis./.