Chat with 2 ambassadors of Baden Mountain Marathon 2023: Wishing to spread a beautiful and soulful Tay Ninh

Two ambassadors of the 2023 Baden Mountain Marathon Thanh Vu and Trong Nhon.

Known as the “steel rose”, athlete Thanh Vu once participated in the cross-desert marathon in the 4Deserts series, and was the first Asian woman to successfully conquer the 1,000km long distance of this challenge in 2016. And until 2019, the steel rose has conquered many challenging races on all 7 continents, including the 230km race in the Arctic Circle.

Recently, Thanh Vu continued to make waves internationally when she won the women's title in the ultra-distance triathlon competition including 38km swimming, 1,800km cycling and 422km running, known as one of the toughest competitions in the world in Switzerland - Swiss Ultra 2022.

* "Steel Rose" Thanh Vu: "I'm really looking forward to the feeling of running while admiring the beauty of Tay Ninh "

PV: Having been an ambassador for the 2021 Baden Mountain Marathon, what made you decide to continue being an ambassador for the race taking place on April 23 this year?

Thanh Vu: I participated in the Baden Mountain Marathon 2021, which left a special impression on me not only for its scale, professionalism, and unique running route, but more than that, the running community in Tay Ninh is very hospitable. Therefore, I am very excited to become an ambassador for the Baden Mountain Marathon 2023, with a scale of up to 7,000 participants and a very meticulous organization process.

Even more special, this year's race has a very meaningful message: "Legendary Race". Participants have the opportunity to experience a fresh green Tay Ninh with majestic mountains and forests, picturesque roads, and also reach the sacred peak known as the roof of the South, admire the majestic spiritual works on the peak area, or visit the Ba Pagoda complex halfway up the mountain, to learn about the sacred legend of Linh Son Thanh Mau. I think that every athlete participating in this year's race will have very special emotions.

By participating in the competition, I also hope to spread the image of a beautiful, rustic Tay Ninh with many wonderful destinations, and contribute to promoting Vietnamese tourism to the international community.

PV: What beautiful scenery are you most looking forward to on the race route this year?

Thanh Vu: There are two places I really like, which are Ba Den Mountain with the Ba Mountain pagoda complex that attracts tourists to come and enjoy the scenery and entertainment. I really look forward to the feeling of running while watching the sunrise from afar, watching the statue of Buddha on the mountain top among the clouds, or the Ba Temple complex hidden among the green of the mountains and forests. This will definitely be an unforgettable moment in the race.

Besides, Cao Dai Holy See is also very attractive with its special architecture, where you can run in a very beautiful and unique campus of Tay Ninh. You can even run under the shade of green trees and watch monkeys jumping around. This is definitely a running route that athletes want to experience many times.

PV: Having won the triathlon in Switzerland, how did this race in Tay Ninh make you feel?

Thanh Vu: For me or any athlete who has conquered international races, running in my homeland always brings a very sacred feeling. I have participated in many running routes in Vietnam such as Sa Pa or Ly Son, and every time I run, I am amazed by the beauty of Vietnam.

Especially in Tay Ninh, I feel very excited and proud. If talking about the route, Tay Ninh race is not a challenging route, but a peaceful route, to run and enjoy the beauty of Vietnam and the friendliness of the people.

PV: What message do you want to send to young people, especially the running community in Vietnam when participating in the race?

Thanh Vu: For the race, I hope that young people in the running community across Vietnam will have the opportunity to exercise together. The value of health is really important. Moreover, participating in the race is also a process for you to continue to inspire, spread positive messages, and healthy habits.

Participating in this year's race, I believe that every athlete wants to inspire a better community, a generation that knows how to take care of both physical and mental health, loves themselves and strives for good things.

Two ambassadors of the 2023 Baden Mountain Marathon Thanh Vu and Trong Nhon.

* Runner Trong Nhon: Ba Den Mountain is very poetic

PV: Surely because you are so attached to Ba Den Mountain, this year Nhon continues to be the ambassador of the Baden Mountain Marathon 2023?

Trong Nhon: It's not that Ba Den Mountain is too familiar to Nhon, but also because of his love for Tay Ninh, the land Nhon has been attached to for many years. Born and raised in Binh Dinh, Nhon once lived and worked as an employee of the Department of Internal Affairs of Tay Ninh province.

During that time, after work every day, Nhon regularly ran 8-11km in the city combined with climbing Ba Den Mountain. Tay Ninh is where Nhon "fell into" running and helped Nhon achieve his running achievements later. It can be said that Tay Ninh is a land with many predestined relationships with Nhon, and Nhon is really excited to continue being the ambassador of the Baden Mountain Marathon 2023.

PV: As someone who especially loves trail running and has "conquered" many mountain passes, what do you find different about Ba Den Mountain?

Trong Nhon: The first difference between Ba Den Mountain and Nhon is that this mountain has a very steep terrain, very suitable for training and suitable for the races that Nhon has competed in before. It can be said that Ba Den Mountain is the ideal terrain to train endurance and get used to the harsh competition terrain like in trail running races. Nhon thinks that in the Southern region, Ba Den Mountain is the route that brings the best training conditions for runners.

Another special thing is that Ba Den Mountain is a very sacred mountain, and every time I run here, I always have a very different feeling of peace. Every year, many tourists come here to pray for peace, fortune, and luck. Not only in the first days of the new year, Ba Den Mountain is an attractive destination all year round because the landscape here is worthy of being called "the number one mountain in heaven". Therefore, although I have run and conquered many mountains, for Nhon, Ba Den Mountain is still a favorite destination. Up to now, Nhon has conquered this mountain more than 50 times.

Familiar with the terrain of Ba Den Mountain, trail running star Trong Nhon has won many domestic and international running competitions, notably the championship of the Penang Eco 100 trail race in Malaysia in June 2019, the 75km championship at the Laan ultra trail race in November 2019...

PV: So, in your opinion, what is the most attractive thing at the 2023 Baden Mountain Marathon?

Trong Nhon: Perhaps that is the message of the “Legendary Run”. This is a race where runners will stride through destinations on the land of Tay Ninh. People can run through rice fields, run under rubber trees, and especially have the opportunity to visit special places of Tay Ninh such as Cao Dai Holy See, Ma Thien Lanh. Athletes will start from Ba Den Mountain, and near the end of the race, they will run around this sacred mountain. It is a great opportunity for runners to look out and admire the entire beauty of the mountain when the sun rises.

Nhon has participated in many races, but when he experienced the running course at the Baden Mountain Marathon, he still found it very attractive, because the course passed through many poetic landscapes.

PV: Can you share some notes with athletes participating in the Baden Mountain Marathon 2023 for the first time?

Trong Nhon: The 2023 Baden Mountain Marathon has 4 distances (5km, 10km, 21km and 42km) for runners to choose from according to their physical condition and goals. Nhon thinks that no matter which distance you choose, you need to be full of energy from start to finish.

To do that, careful preparation from the beginning is very important. A few days before the race, you should prepare both your health and your mind well by not eating strange foods or exercising too hard so that your body can relax and be ready. On the race day, you should arrive early before the starting time to warm up thoroughly, understand the race regulations clearly and choose a suitable standing position.

Arriving early at the Baden Mountain Marathon 2023 is also a great time for you to breathe in the fresh air and relax while watching the beautiful sunrise at Ba Den Mountain, as long as you don't get too caught up in the beautiful scenery and forget that you are competing. You can reward yourself with a cable car ride up Ba Den Mountain, enjoy the beauty of the sacred mountain and see the panoramic view of the vast plains after this race.

Tam Giang

(perform)

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