The international Viet Nam Mountain Marathon will be organised on October 5 in the northern province of Lao Cai's Sa Pa town.—Photo vietnammountainmarathon.com

HA NOI (VNS)– The international Viet Nam Mountain Marathon will be organised on October 5 in the northern province of Lao Cai's Sa Pa town.

Organisers have announced three routes: a half-marathon (21km), marathon (42km) and ultra-marathon (70km) for participants.

Nearly 150 runners from 25 countries in six continents have already registered to test their skills at the challenging but picturesque race route through Sa Pa's beautiful landscape and stunning panoramas. The number of race participants is expected to increase as the application deadline is open until September 5.

The Danish Embassy, co-organiser of the event, will send their representative Ambassador John Nielsen to take part in the race.

"It (the route) is pretty tough, I promise you, but the ambience and beauty of running in the mountains and paddy fields around Sa Pa will compensate for the suffering," said Nielsen, who has run in seven different marathons around the world.

Race routes will take runners through rice fields, small villages and valleys situated away from main roads and rarely visited by tourists.

A veteran runner from Denmark and previous ultra-marathon winner will come to Sa Pa one day ahead of the race to share his experiences and tips with locals and other competitors.

Through the race, marathon runners will donate part of their entry fee to support Sa Pa O'Chau, a local organisation that provides education opportunities to people from ethnic minority groups who did not finish school.

Topas Ecolodge, an eco-friendly resort, and Novo Nordisk, a global healthcare company, are the two other organisers of the competition.

For registration or more information, please visit www.vietnammountainmarathon.com or facebook.com/vietnammountainmarathon13 – VNS