Mother of four finishes Y Ty 42km in 4:26, beats almost every male runner and declares: “Run with your legs, not with the gossip of the world!”

At the finish gate of the Y Ty Mùa Vàng 2026 race in Lao Cai, a woman appeared with steady steps, her hair stuck to her forehead with sweat. The official clock stopped at 4 hours 26 minutes. She was Van Trang — nickname Jang Doll — a mother of four born in 2026. She finished 1st among women in the 42km trail category and 2nd overall, beating nearly every male runner except one. The course had more than 1,300 meters of elevation gain and reached the 2,860-meter peak of Lao Than. The result alone should have been the story. But online, people were not talking about her time. They were talking about her chest, using crude words like “carrying two pomelos.” Van Trang did not stay silent. She responded: “I dare anyone to carry two pomelos while running 42 or 55km on mountain trails! I run with my legs, not with my appearance.” She turned degrading language into a statement of strength. As an analyst who has followed trail running for decades, I know that 4:26 on this terrain is not luck. It is the product of discipline: running, gym, swimming, and careful fuelling. When a woman like Van Trang is judged by her body rather than by her performance, the numbers become evidence. In many ultra races, women can perform as well as men over long distances because of better fat metabolism and endurance. Van Trang proved it by standing on the second step of the overall podium. She has no intention of changing her clothes to please critics. Sports clothing must be comfortable and safe. Her next goals are the 70km VMM race and later a 100km event. She says she only wants to become a better version of herself every day. The lesson is simple: when a woman finishes a great athletic achievement, the right question is not “what is she wearing?” but “how did she train?”. Numbers last longer than gossip.