The day before the race in Mu Cang Chai we had an opportunity to talk to Hau Ha, overall winner of the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100 km two weeks earlier. Hau Ha is the new Southeast Asian trail star and one of the big favourites to become 2022 Asia Trail Master Champion this coming December. The full interview is in Vietnamese and summarised in English and can be watched via our ATM YouTube channel. The transcript highlights are below.
The interview was made possible by Trung Nguyen and Markus Gnirck, with special thanks to both!
Q: It’s only 2 weeks since your amazing victory at VMM 100K, how do you look back on that day and your unique performance today?
“On the way to CP4 on the longest climb I felt tired and had to let Gaetan Morizur go. But later at the CP they told me he was not that far ahead, and that gave me a big boost in confidence and so I decided to chase him down again, and by CP 6 I caught him and then left him behind me on the way to finish. “
“I am from Sapa and I know all the trails, which of course was an advantage for me.
Q: In Dalat in March, you finished behind Morizur, Nhon Trong and Nguyen Si Hieu. Now you beat them in VMM. Nhon Trong was even two hours behind you. Does that surprise you?
“In Dalat Ultra Trail I was still managing an injury, which slowed me down. Especially in the second part of that race. But in VMM, I was 100% fit, better prepared and so I was not surprised about my performance”
Q. It did not look like you were running at your top limit at VMM. You can still go faster if you have to?
“Yes, I can go even faster with water melon! My stomach needs water melon on race day!”
Q: You ran a couple of road marathons and also shorter distance races this year. Do you think it helped you to develop a faster pace on the trails?
“I don’t think running road marathon races helps my performance on trails, but the specific training for those marathons does, yes.”
Q: You are a single mum, you have a son, and you run a travel tour company. How do you find the time to train?
“I found a way to balance daily life and sports and I like to continue to do this moving forward”
Q: You are coached by Guim, a former elite athlete from Spain and based in Hanoi. How did you get to know him and how important is he for you when preparing for races?
“I like MUDE Sports, the apparel brand launched by Guim, and especially the philosophy behind the brand that is using 100% recycled materials, which is very environmentally friendly. Important for Vietnam. Also, Mude is produced locally, which helps our local economy. As a coach, Guim has helped me lot with my training plans and with custom designing the right products for me to use and wear while running. “
Q: Two years ago, you started running because you wanted to lose weight and now you dominate men in the most iconic race in Vietnam. Do you realise you are very quickly becoming a role model, an idol, for many women around Asia? What is your message to women in this context?
“I believe that all the women in the world can do the same, as long as they have a dream and the passion to pursue that dream. I believe that women who are passionate about sports will develop a strong character and also a nice, healthy body.”
Q: You were already a public secret in Vietnam before VMM, now dozens of thousands of trail runners across the whole of Asia know you. How does that make you feel?
“I do not feel anything special about it, I just feel passionate about sports, and it has become my lifestyle.”
Q: The ATM Championship is a goal for you this year. We heard that you are looking forward to racing against Veronika Vadovicova, Vanja Cnops and the other top women in Asia?
“Yes, it would be nice to compete against other top women in Asia on medium or longer distance trails. I am looking forward to meeting them and run with them.”
