Mother of four Vân Trang wins Y Tý 42km: 'I run with my legs, not with the gossiping mouths'

During the golden rice harvest in Y Tý, sunlight fell across the terraced fields, but for the athletes at the 2026 Y Tý Golden Season trail race on September 6, 2026, the scenery was just the backdrop to a brutal battle. The 42km course had more than 1,300 metres of accumulated elevation, with thinning air near Mount Lảo Thẩn, 2,860 metres above sea level. Some male runners had to crawl on the final climb. Yet Vân Trang, a mother of four born in 2026, nicknamed Jang Doll, kept moving steadily and crossed the finish line in 4 hours 26 minutes. That time made her the fastest woman and put her just one place behind the leading man in the overall standings. That achievement was no accident. Shortly after finishing, Vân Trang told reporters that the 42km course had slopes which nearly drained her energy. “At that moment I only focused on the road ahead, kept my breathing steady, managed my strength and refuelled at the right time. I kept telling myself: ‘Stay calm, as long as you still have energy, there is still a chance’.” Her answer showed a runner guided by strategy, not emotion. Her endurance came from years of regular running, combined with gym work, swimming and supplementary exercises. No miracle can happen without discipline and consistency. The story should have stopped there: a mother of four conquered the mountain and beat almost all the male runners. But soon after Vân Trang left the awards podium, her image was shared in some running groups with rude comments. Instead of talking about her climbing technique or how she managed her energy, they stared at her naturally large bust under a tight sports outfit and used the phrase “carrying two grapefruits while running” to mock her. This is not rare: women in sport are judged by their looks before their achievements, even when they have just done something most men cannot do. What sets Vân Trang apart is the way she responded. Rather than staying silent or deleting the post, she replied: “Honestly, I dare anyone to carry two grapefruits and run 42km or 55km on mountain trails! I run with my legs, not with my looks, so why drag me into groups to gossip? Some people see pressure, but I see it as ‘vitamin C’ for my spirit. The important thing is that I still finished and I am happy and healthy. Judge all you want; I run with my own legs, not with the gossiping mouths of others.” From a sporting perspective, that answer is worth more than a medal because it focuses on the real issue. When a woman wears sports clothing, she is not dressing to please onlookers. The outfit must first be comfortable and safe for movement. If she changed herself just to avoid judgement, she would spend her whole life living under other people’s eyes. Vân Trang stated this clearly: “Sports clothing must first be comfortable and safe. If I change myself just because I fear criticism, I will always live according to other people’s gaze.” This is not the voice of someone easily broken; it is the voice of a woman who has covered thousands of kilometres on mountain trails. Vân Trang’s story is not unique. In community races across Vietnam, more women are stepping out of socially assigned roles and setting their own challenges. They run at five in the morning before taking their children to school, train at the gym after work, and spend weekends crossing forests and streams. Yet alongside those efforts, they still hear comments such as “running too much will make you bulky”, “women should not run marathons for health reasons”, or they are mocked for their chests and waists. People forget that a race does not ask how many children a mother has given birth to. It only asks whether your legs and heart are ready. For Vân Trang, the journey has just begun. After the Y Tý medal, she has already set her next target: the VMM 70km Ultra Trail in Sa Pa, before pushing towards 100km at the end of the year. At 35, a mother of four, she chooses to prove herself through real milestones rather than explain herself to people who do not want to understand. “Let achievements 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,” Vân Trang said. What is striking is that in the moment she was mocked, Vân Trang never looked weak. She turned the taunt about “carrying two grapefruits” into a memorable line: “I run with my legs, not with the gossiping mouths!” For anyone running towards their own goals, her message is a reminder: serious sport has no room for contempt, and performance never lies. The road is still long, and many women will still be judged when they run. But the more women like Vân Trang speak up, the weaker those unkind looks will become. When writing these lines, I watched a clip provided by Vân Trang showing her long, steady stride past the final slope. There was no sound of mockery there, only breathing and the rhythm of footsteps. Perhaps that is the most accurate image of the future of Vietnamese women's sport: no permission needed, no justification needed, just start and finish. And if anyone asks what women should wear to avoid criticism, look again at Vân Trang’s result: 4 hours 26 minutes, first woman, second overall.