During their fast-paced journey through South East Asia, Plant Based AC athletes visited the city of Quy Nhon, Vietnam. VN Express Marathon Events organised a large race series there, marking their fifth year hosting the International Race Series of Quy Nhon in 2024. The series featured marathon, half marathon, 10km, and 5km races. Thousands of competitors entered the race series. The start lines were mobbed and the streets were full of spectators, marshals and competing athletes preparing for their events.
Our athletes had an early start, with their 10km race commencing at 04:30am. This was scheduled to avoid the intense heat of the day. Weather conditions however, even at that early hour were intense, with humidity of 86% and a temperature reading of real feel 30C.
Our athletes battled the conditions, sweat pouring from them before the race commenced. Both competing Plant Based AC athletes fought the conditions well and rallied around the course. The first 6km were along the coastline, which gave some small bit of comfort with an occasional gentle breeze.
The final 4km swerved inland, which was more sheltered. The course was lined with marshals and spectators who cheered athletes along on their valiant efforts.
Rachel led the women's race for over 9km, at which stage a competitor made a move. A hard fought battle ensued. Despite fighting hard and remaining determined, the Vietnamese competitor took the advantage within the final 200m. Rachel achieved a commendable second place. The winner, collapsed over the finish line and was quickly put onto a stretcher. Medics attended and she was back to her feet and recovered some time later. What an effort put in by both athletes to finish in the sweltering heat and humidity of the race.
Lea competed against the men in the race and had a powerful start. He was a key competitor in the leading group, managing to distance himself from most rivals by the midpoint. Approaching the last turn with only 2km left, Lea held a significant lead over the third-place competitor, while the leader was just a few hundred meters ahead. Due to the challenging conditions, executing a final attack was extremely difficult. Nevertheless, Lea accelerated in the last kilometer and concluded the race strongly, securing an admirable second position.
The humidity and warmth made this race the most challenging of South East Asia, with a marked difference between the first 6km by the coast, and the final 4km inland. We are proud of the efforts and achievements Plant Based AC made in this race. Well done Rachel and Lea!
