Only Vietnamese representative completes Montane Lapland Arctic Ultra

The race initially began on March 3 and concluded on March 13, with the competitors registering to participate in either the 185km or 500km races, with all of the routes departing from Overkalix town in the northern region of Sweden.

Thanh Vu, whose full name is Vu Phuong Thanh, is the only Vietnamese representative among a total of 19 athletes to participate in the 500km-race. Participants could run, cycle, or ski their chosen distance.

In addition to experiencing a very long distance, athletes also had to endure harsh weather conditions with temperatures reaching one degree Celsius during the day and -13 degrees Celsius at night.

The 34-year-old Vietnamese woman completed her race on foot on the night of March 13, covering the 503.1km trail in nine days, nine hours, and 18 minutes. Her traveling time was seven days and 19 hours, with a total rest time of one day and 13 hours, along with an average speed of 3.2km per hour.

The Vietnamese athlete was placed 15th in the overall ranking, whilst German biker Florian Reiterberger was ultimately announced as the winner of the 500km-distance.

Back in 2016, Thanh Vu became the first Asian woman to complete the 4 Desert Grand Slam involving 250km Namibia, 250km Gobi March, 250km Atacama Crossing, and The Last Desert of 250km in the Antarctic.

In 2022, she became the first Vietnamese athlete to win the triathlon Swiss Ultra where she swam 38km, cycled 1,800km, and ran 422km in 328 hours 27 minutes and 55 seconds, equivalent to 13 days 16 hours 27 minutes and 55 seconds.