Marathon

Việt Nam champion Hoàng Nguyên Thanh will compete in the Asian Marathon Championship on January 21 in Hong Kong. Photo courtesy of VIHM

HÀ NỘI  National champion Hoàng Nguyên Thanh is aiming for a high result at the 2024 Asian Marathon Championship which will be held later this month in Hong Kong.

The 19th tournament will see the best runners from some 45 countries and territories compete on January 21.

This will be the first bi-annual Asian Marathon Championship held since the pandemic, and the fifth time that the vibrant region of Hong Kong has been selected as the host.

“We are extremely honoured to have been selected to once again host the Asian Marathon Championship after a period of eight years,” Kwan Kee, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Athletics Affiliates, was quoted as saying on travelnewsasia.com.

“The race set for January will provide ample time for attracting more international athletes to participate. We hope the cool weather will elevate runner’s performance and favour better results."

Vietnamese representatives are Thanh and his female teammate Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa, who finished second in the 2023 national championship.

Thanh is considered the best elite marathoner of Việt Nam currently. He established his domination in almost all tournaments that he took part in.

In the latest three events, Thanh won two organised in the first week of 2024, and missed one in last December because of an ankle injury.

Thanh championed and set a new national record at the Vietnam International Half Marathon (VIHM) in Hà Nội before defending his title for the eighth time at the annual Bà Rá Mountain Trail Race in his home town of Bình Phước Province.

Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa running at the Techcombank HCM City International Marathon last month. Hoa will run in the Hong Kong event later this month. Photo courtesy of Techcombank HCM City International Marathon

Meanwhile, Hoa, former SEA Games bronze medallist, finished third in the Techcombank Marathon HCM City after topping the Đất Sen Hồng Marathon and Bến Tre Marathon, all in 2023.

“After the VIHM, my athletes and I have been intensively preparing for the Asian championship in Hong Kong," said coach Trần Đoàn Minh Thiện.

"These two runners of Bình Phước Province will represent Việt Nam in this event and we will have the best plan for our competition."

Thanh and Hoa will be up against the continent’s strongest marathoners who will come to hunt their Paris Olympics' spots.

To qualify for the July Games, runners must finish their race in 2hr 8.10min or faster for men and 2:26.50 or faster for women. And only the 180 best runners among the qualified ones will be selected.

These results are practically impossible to reach for the Vietnamese athletes. Thanh's personal best is 2:25.00 while Hoa ran best at 2:49.23.

As Việt Nam's marathon results in Asia are still low, with only a bronze by Phạm Thị Bình in 2011, the duo expects to learn and sharpen their skills from their experienced rivals, especially those from South Korea, China and Japan.

Thanh and Hoa are expected to improve their results and look forward at the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand in 2025 where Thanh will look to gain his top position back while Hoa is expected to help Việt Nam end the women's winning drought since 2013.

The pair will take part in the HCM City Marathon on January 14 which is considered the last touch of their preparation before the Asian event. VNS