Marathon

VPBank Hà Nội Marathon will be held on October 16 with a large number of participants. Photo of VPBank Hà Nội Marathon

HÀ NỘI — The 2022 VPBank Hanoi Marathon will see the largest numbers yet participate in the 42km event this October in the capital city.

The municipal official international running event, hosted by VPBank and DHA Việt Nam Company, will be held on October 16, with more than 10,000 athletes, professionals and amateurs participating.

Among them, 3,000 have registered for the 42km course, the largest number to ever sign up for a marathon in Việt Nam.

According to the organisers, more than 1,000 foreigners will participate in the event, which carries a message of Light up Việt Nam, as an exciting greeting from Hà Nội to all participants.

"Sports in general, and especially marathons in particular, have a special role as a tool to attract more foreign tourists to run and make discovery tours," said the head of the organising committee, Nguyễn Trí, General Director of DHA Việt Nam.

"Not only is it meant to promote the sports movement and improve the physical health of the Vietnamese people, our tournament also focuses on conveying the cultural beauties and bright spots of the nation to the world, attracting a large number of visitors to witness a post-pandemic healthy Việt Nam, rich in traditional culture and recovering strongly and full of vitality," he said.

He added that the pandemic Việt Nam was an extremely attractive destination for international runners who love long-distance running, and the organisers are proud that the 2022 VPBank Hà Nội Marathon will feature more than 1,000 foreign runners.

Nguyễn Thùy Dương, a representative of VPBank, said: "The tournament marks a strong new beginning, with lots of inspiration, showing Việt Nam's readiness to shine after a difficult period because of the pandemic, to move towards a prosperous future".

This year, a record prize, including cash and the "Golden Running Step" Cup, will be delivered to one male and one female runner, if they break national records at the 42km distance.

In addition to the full marathon, there are also 5km, 10km and 21km categories.

The race is a one-of-a-kind event that serves as both a traditional marathon, as well as a unique tour of the six major districts and almost all historical and cultural places of the Old Quarter of Hà Nội, allowing the runners to discover the peaceful, charming, and historic city with 11 heritages and landmarks they can't miss.

Starting from Hoàn Kiếm Lake (the Lake of Returned Sword), marathoners will run past mossy, ancient street corners, admiring the historical sites of the thousand-year-old capital such as West Lake; Ô Quan Chưởng, the last remaining city wall gate; Temple of Literature, Mausoleum of President Hồ Chí Minh, Ba Đình Square and the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long.

From 2022, the VPBank Hanoi Marathon has become a member of the Age Group Ranking System of Abbott World Marathon Majors. As a result, athletes' results can be used to qualify for any World Six Majors; New York, Chicago, London, Boston, Tokyo and Berlin marathons.

Earlier this month, Fung Wang Tak, a course measurer from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), arrived in Việt Nam to make a final inspection and measurement to ensure VPBank Hà Nội Marathon's international standard tracks.

"It is an honour that VPBank Hà Nội Marathon is recognised by the world's leading prestigious organisation Abbott World Marathon Majors as a qualifying race. The recognition confirms the professionalism and the level of the race organisation," said Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, General Secretary of the Việt Nam Athletics Federation.

VPBank Hà Nội Marathon is an annual tournament first held in 2018. The debut event featured nearly 3,000 athletes, and the number rose rapidly yearly, except for 2021, because of the pandemic. VNS