Bùi Văn Dũng crosses the finish line of the men's 21km class in the Tay Ho Half Marathon on April 17 in Hà Nội. Photos of organisers

HÀ NỘI — Bùi Văn Dũng and Lê Thị Bích won the Tay Ho Half Marathon - The Legend Race Powered by BIM Group on April 17 in Hà Nội.

Dũng finished first in the men’s 21km category with a time of 1hr 13.54. He was followed by Nguyễn Minh Hồng (1:20.53) and Ngô Doãn Tùng (1:21.28).

On the women’s side, Bích left all other rivals far behind, completing her race in 1:24.27. Hoàng Thị Hồng Uyên (1:36.35) and Mitchell Christine (1:37.26) were second and third, respectively.

Lê Thị Bích comes first in the women's 21km category.

In its second edition, the tournament lured almost 3,000 athletes running in four different categories ranging from a 3km to a 21km half marathon. More than 1,000 runners registered to compete in the 21km class, a record for the event.

The 15km class saw a competitive race between two national youth team marathoners, Lê Trung Đức and Sơn Tiến Phát.

Đức crossed the finish line first with a time of 52 minutes 33 seconds, leaving Phát a gap of 1.12min behind. Hồ Chí Thiên came third in 55:48.

“This year’s running route was well organised. The cool weather with little rain made great conditions for running. We were guided to run around the beautiful West Lake with many attractive sightseeing and cultural sites,” said Đức.

In the women’s 15km, Hồ Thị Thu Hà, a national youth team member, came first. Her time of 1:00.09 put her in the top seven overall. She was behind six male runners.

Lê Thị Thanh Nga (1:01.55) and Lê Mai Hồng Ngọc (1:03.49) were the two runners-up.

The marathon was first organised in 2020 but was cancelled twice in 2021 because of the pandemic.

Almost 3,000 runners take part in the second Tay Ho Half Marathon.

It was organised by the Tây Hồ District People’s Committee and Big Prize Joint-stock company.

“The second Tay Ho Half Marathon aimed to promote running, and sports in general, among the community. It will help to improve people’s fitness and physique,” said Phạm Xuân Tài, deputy chairman of the Tây Hồ District’s People’s Committee. “We hope the tournament will be held at a fixed time of the year with ever-higher quality and be more professional to be an unforgettable event for athletes."

“It is also a way to popularise Tây Hồ District’s people and images to national and international friends.” 

Vũ Thanh Thủy, a representative of BIM Group, said: “BIM Group is proud to be a partner of the tournament, joining a hand in organising a running event that goes through the city’s cultural and historical venues. It will raise love for sport and Hà Nội among runners and supporters.” VNS