In Vietnam, race sends runners scrambling over flooded rice terraces

The race, titled 'Footprints in the Water Season,' took place in Hang Dang De Hamlet in Mu Cang Chai Commune, Lao Cai Province, where participants traversed more than 100 terraced fields during the annual flooding period, when paddies are filled with water ahead of planting.

Unlike conventional road or trail races, the course required runners to move through mud and water and climb steep embankments, some higher than a person's height.

Local officials said the event was held for the first time to create a new tourism product and enhance visitor experience in the area, known for its terraced rice landscapes.

Giang A Tang, deputy chairman of the People's Committee of Mu Cang Chai Commune, said the terraces are a distinctive landscape shaped by generations of local farmers, with the water season offering a unique visual appeal.

The event combined competition with an immersive experience in the natural setting, allowing participants to engage directly with the terrain and conditions typical of highland agriculture.

Mu Cang Chai's terraced fields are considered among the most scenic in the region, drawing visitors during different stages of the rice-growing cycle.