At the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 2026 expo in Sa Pa, on 18–20 September, Hồng Ngọc General Hospital gave more than 300 runners a free 12-lead ECG and a one-to-one consultation before the start. One case stood out: a male 70K runner with frequent premature ventricular contractions, a pattern that can turn into a dangerous arrhythmia under hard effort, according to Dr Lê Đình Thái, head of the outpatient department.
Hồng Ngọc is VMM's medical partner, with 8 doctors, 16 nurses, 4 coordinators and 2 ambulances on duty for the event's 49 hours. Their message is blunt: hidden cardiac risks usually show nothing at rest, so get a cardiac check before a big race or before stepping up in distance. During the race, if you feel chest tightness, dizziness, unusual breathlessness or a heart rate climbing out of proportion, slow down and head for the nearest aid station.
Race details and elevation per distance are on the VMM page here on Chạy Địa Hình.
Source: Hồng Ngọc General Hospital, 25 September 2026. Updated 25 September 2026.
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