Van Trang wins women's 42km at Y Ty: "Run with your legs, not with gossip"

On September 6, 2026, at the Y Ty Golden Season 2026 race, Van Trang created one of the most memorable moments in Vietnamese trail running. She not only won the women’s 42km category but also finished second overall in 4 hours 26 minutes, behind only one male runner. For a mother of four born in 2026, the victory means much more than the numbers on the results board. It came after months of disciplined training, steep climbs in Y Ty commune, and also hurtful comments from some online spectators. The 42km route in Y Ty is not for the faint-hearted. It includes La Thản Peak at 2,860m above sea level, more than 1,300m of accumulated elevation gain, steep terrain and thin mountain air. Many runners would consider finishing such a course a victory in itself. Yet Van Trang did not stop at completing the distance. She finished first among women and second overall, a result that forces people to reconsider how they judge a woman who runs trail. According to Van Trang, the secret was not luck. “The 42km distance has sections where your body is almost out of energy. I focused on each section of road ahead, kept my breathing steady, distributed my strength and refueled at the right time. I kept telling myself: ‘Stay calm, as long as you have strength you still have a chance.’ This endurance comes from consistency and discipline. Besides running, I do gym, swimming and supplementary exercises to build strength day by day,” she said. That mindset proves Van Trang understands her body better than anyone else. Instead of relying on temporary emotion, she builds her fitness systematically: base running, strength work, recovery and nutrition. On race day, she did not burn out early. She adjusted her pace according to each climb, controlled her breathing and only pushed hard when she was ready. That is the kind of discipline not every runner can show when facing time pressure and competitors chasing from behind. However, what made Van Trang’s story spread even further was the way she dealt with body-shaming comments. After her finishing photos appeared online, some running groups focused on her natural bust instead of her achievement. They made crude jokes about carrying two grapefruits while running. Those words turned a remarkable performance into ugly entertainment. Instead of staying silent, Van Trang responded directly. “I dare anyone to carry two grapefruits for 42km or 55km of mountain trail! I run with my legs, not with my body shape, so why bring me into gossip groups? Some people see pressure, but I see it as Vitamin C for my spirit. The important thing is I finished, and I am healthy and happy. They can judge all they want. I run with my own legs, not with other people’s mouths,” she said. Her statement received support from many runners, especially female amateurs. For them, Van Trang’s story is not only a sporting victory. It is a reminder that women in sport are still often judged by their bodies rather than their effort. “Women who play sports should first be seen for their effort and achievement. Body shape is personal, while achievement is the result of years of training. When you look at a girl on the race course, I hope you see somebody trying to conquer her own limits,” said the runner from Hanoi. The issue becomes even more meaningful in the context of high-performance sport in Vietnam. Many female athletes have said they face double pressure: they must achieve good results while also fitting a socially accepted standard of beauty. When a woman trains seriously, her body changes in ways that may not match the fragile image many people expect. That does not make her less valuable. On the contrary, it is a sign of a body that has endured hard sessions and is ready to take on challenging routes. When asked whether she would wear looser clothing to avoid unwanted attention, Van Trang firmly refused. She said sportswear must first be comfortable and safe. If she changed herself only because she feared gossip, she would spend her whole life living according to other people’s expectations. For her, running is not only sport but also a lesson in facing life. “Marathon teaches me that we cannot always run in perfect conditions. Life is the same. Praise makes me happy, criticism helps me reflect, and malicious words I learn to ignore,” she said. This mental strength gives Van Trang extra energy for bigger goals. After her success at La Thản, the mother of four will target VMM 70km and later the 100km distance. These are true ultra-trail challenges requiring endurance, durability and smart pacing over many hours. Nobody can guarantee her path will be smooth, but Van Trang has proven she does not need shallow approval. “Let achievements speak. I do not need to become the version others want to see. Becoming a better version of myself every day is enough,” she said. Looking back at Van Trang’s journey at Y Ty Golden Season 2026, her greatest victory is not only the medal. It is the way she used her own legs to answer doubters. In a society where prejudice still exists, a mother of four who wakes up every morning, laces her shoes, runs long trails and quietly improves her performance sends a powerful message. She does not need to speak too much, because every step on the course is already a speech. When people try to bring her down with unkind words, she chooses to prove herself through results instead of joining online fights. For Van Trang, running is a conversation between body and will. The body does not betray anyone; it simply reflects what each person chooses to invest. If someone spends hours in the gym, hundreds of kilometres on trails and thousands of times telling herself to get up after pain, the result will speak for itself. So when body-shaming comments keep coming, Van Trang treats them as part of a mental game. She does not try to be loved by everyone. She only tries to become a stronger version of herself every day. The Y Ty victory opens a beautiful story for Vietnamese trail running. But its long-term value lies in how the community looks at female runners. There will be other girls who start running after reading Van Trang’s story. They may run slower and may not conquer 42km immediately, but they now know no one has the right to define their limits based on appearance. Van Trang has offered a strong opening answer on the course, while the next part of the story is waiting to be written by the next female runners through sweat and perseverance. A meaningful number has appeared: 4 hours 26 minutes. But even more memorable is the way Van Trang stood up after rude comments, choosing focus over anger, discipline over complaint. She once said that as long as she still had strength, she still had a chance, and she continues running forward. For a mother of four born in 2026, every limit is only the starting point of a new challenge.