Men's 42km athletes get awards from the organising committee of the 2022 Manulife Đà Nẵng International Marathon. Vietnamese Bùi Văn Đà and Trần Thị Hoa won the men's and women's 42km events. — Photo courtesy of the World Marathon Company and Pulse Active

ĐÀ NẴNG — Vietnamese marathoners Bùi Văn Đà and Trần Thị Hoa won the men's and women's 42km in the 2022 Manulife Đà Nẵng International Marathon, respectively on Sunday (March 20) – waking up the central coastal tourism hub after a two-year absence due to COVID-19.

Đà clocked came in at 2 hours, 57 minutes and 9 seconds to take the men's title on a smooth weather day, while Trần Thị Hoa raced in at 3hrs 32min 42sec for a first finish in the women's division.

Vietnamese runners also dominated the men's 42km division as Nguyễn Hữu Mạnh and Trương Anh Ngọc came in second and third place, respectively.

Women marathoners on the victory podium at the Manulife Đà Nẵng International Marathon. Vietnamese Trần Thị Hoa won the race. — Photo courtesy of the World Marathon Company and Pulse Active

Hoàng Lan Anh and Nguyễn Ngọt took second and third in the women's 42km race.

German runner Deichmann Florian finished first in the men's half marathon (21km) in 1hr 22min 22sec, ahead of Vietnamese Nhật Thuỳ Mai, who came in second in 1hr 25min 55sec, and UK's Aaron Foster, in third (1hr 28min 53sec).

Local Phạm Nga sped in 1hr 45min 42sec to finish first on the women's track, while Greenwood Sasha Jade from the UK came in second (1hr 47min13sec), and Nguyễn Trang ranked third.

Kids join the 1.5km Ronny Dash for children at the 2022 Manulife Đà Nẵng International Marathon in Đà Nẵng. More than 5,000 participants joined the race. — Photo courtesy of the World Marathon Company and Pulse Active

Trần Đăng An and Nguyễn Thị Đường finished first in the men's and women's 10km event, respectively.

On Saturday, the marathon was preluded by a child race, Ronny Dash, for children.

The race organisers, the World Marathon Company and Pulse Active said the race would help Đà Nẵng's tourism as more than 5,000 runners participated.

The race, the first Vietnamese marathon certified by the International Amateur Athletics Association and the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, expects to host about 4,000 foreign athletes in 2023 when the country's tourism fully opens. — VNS