Van Trang – mother of four wins women’s 42km at Y Ty: “Run with your legs, not with the gossip of the crowd”

At 2,860 meters above sea level, Mount Lao Than is one of the toughest points on the Y Ty Golden Season racecourse. On the morning of September 6, Van Trang, known by her nickname Jang Doll, crossed the finish line of the 42km distance in 4 hours and 26 minutes. She was not just the first woman to finish. In the overall rankings, she placed second, losing only to one male runner and leaving almost every other competitor behind. What made her story go further than a medal was not the result. Van Trang was born in 2026 and is the mother of four children. She does not run with her looks; she runs with her daily accumulated kilometers. Soon after photos of her wearing tight sportswear appeared online, a part of the online community chose to make rude remarks about her chest instead of acknowledging her 42km effort. Someone even used the vulgar phrase “carrying two grapefruits while running” to mock her. Van Trang did not stay silent. She responded directly: “I dare anyone to carry two grapefruits and run 42km or 55km on mountain trails! I run with my legs, not with my appearance, so why put me in groups to gossip? Other people see pressure, but I see it as vitamin C for my spirit. What matters is that I still finish and stay healthy. Judge all you want, I run with my own legs, not with the gossip of the crowd.” Looking back at her performance in Y Ty, her journey did not start with magic. The 42km course in Lao Cai has more than 1,300 meters of elevation gain. The thin air at high altitude pushes the heart rate up, quickly drains the muscles, and one small mistake in pacing can force a runner to quit. “The 42km distance has slopes that nearly drain all your energy. At that moment, I only focused on the section ahead, kept my breathing steady, distributed my strength, and fueled at the right time. I kept telling myself: ‘Stay calm, as long as I still have strength, there is still a chance.’ This endurance comes from consistency and discipline. Besides running, I combine gym, swimming, and supporting exercises to build physical fitness every day,” Van Trang told reporters after stepping down from the podium. In many years of watching trail races, I have rarely seen a female runner respond to body-shaming comments with such calm and personality. Van Trang chose not to change her outfit to avoid stares. She said: “Sports clothing must first be comfortable and safe. If I changed myself just because I feared judgment, I would always live according to other people’s eyes. I choose to focus on the race and my goals. Marathon teaches me that you cannot always run in perfect conditions. Life is the same. Compliments make me happy, criticism helps me reflect, and unkind words I learn to ignore.” She also sent a message to the running community: “When looking at women in sports, people should first recognize effort and achievement. Appearance is each person’s own story, while achievement is the result of years of training. When you see a girl on the racecourse, I hope you see someone working hard to conquer her own limits.” In fact, Van Trang’s story does not stop at 42km. After Y Ty, she plans to conquer the 70km distance at the upcoming VMM race, followed by a 100km event expected at the end of the year. For a mother of four, maintaining a training schedule is not simple, but she treats it as a lifestyle, not a burden. Every morning she wakes up early, completes her workout, and then starts the day. This discipline helped her pass the long slopes of Lao Than without looking at other people’s results. The glory at Y Ty may fade, but the message remains. “Let achievement speak. I do not need to become the version others want to see. It is enough to become a better version of myself every day,” Van Trang said about the road ahead. Records are only shadows; people are the real racecourse. Van Trang does not need a laurel wreath to prove her value. She needs a trail to live with her own choices, to run with her legs, and to let her own breath drown out the whispers. For those still busy discussing her appearance, perhaps they should try stepping onto a trail once. Then they might understand why Van Trang simply smiles when she crosses the finish line: the final answer is not found on a keyboard, but at 2,860 meters, where the body knows how much pain it has passed through. The next challenge, VMM 70km and 100km, will be another test. But if she can run 42km of mountain trail after years of motherhood, she has every reason to trust her legs. What matters is not what place she will finish, but how she continues to inspire other women to step out of their comfort zones and run the way they want. Van Trang once said that the racecourse is fairer than life outside, because it does not ask how many children you have or what you look like. It only asks if you have enough persistence to keep going. Perhaps that is why her statement “Run with your legs, not with the gossip of the crowd” has been widely shared. In a society that still holds prejudices against women’s bodies, Van Trang’s directness feels like a charismatic finish. She does not judge anyone, but she also does not allow anyone to judge her with cheap standards. That spirit, more than the medal, is what makes her Y Ty journey a memorable story.