Marathon

Nguyễn Thị Oanh set a new national record at the Viettel Marathon Series 2024's Việt Nam leg on Sunday in Hà Nội. Photos of Vietcontent

HÀ NỘI — Super woman Nguyễn Thị Oanh set a new national record at the Viettel Marathon Series 2024's Việt Nam leg on Sunday in Hà Nội.

It is the national team runner's second record in two months. She specialises in 1,500m, 5,000m, and 3,000m steeplechases and has won many titles in these three events in regional and continental competitions.

However, she is also no stranger to the 10,000m category, having topped the podium at the last SEA Games in Cambodia. Recently, Oanh has participated in marathons and achieved remarkable results.

She not only won several big tournaments but also set a new national record of 2hr 44.20min at the Techcombank Hà Nội International Marathon on September 22, eight months after national champion Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa hit 2:44.52 in the Asian championship in Hong Kong.

In Hà Nội on Sunday, Oanh, who initially registered to run in the half marathon category and changed her mind in the last minutes, faced powerful rivals such as Hoa, former SEA Games champion Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ, young talent Bùi Thu Hà and Laotian Lodkeo Inthakoumman, who won the Series' first stage in Luang Prabang on November 3.

But Oanh still managed to finish first in a time of 2:39.50, nearly five minutes quicker than the previous record.

"I set a target of a new record at the Viettel Marathon, but I also really listen to follow my body because I just completed the National Athletics Championship half a month ago. I'm happy that I made it," said Oanh.

It was the fifth national record in Oanh's collection. Previously, she won records in the indoor 1500m (4min 15.55sec), 3,000m steeplechase (9:43.83 which is also a SEA Games record), 5,000m (15:53.48) and 10,000m (33:13.23).

Hoa came second at 2:47.43, followed by Hà who ran 2:49.57.

In the men's race, favourites were national champion Hoàng Nguyên Thanh and senior runner Nguyễn Văn Lai, both fresh of the back of recent tournament wins.

Hoàng Nguyên Thanh crosses the finish line of the men's 42km class.

Thanh won the Marathon Bình Phước - Trường Tươi Group 2024 while Lai finished first and set his personal best in the VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2024.

They were neck and neck from the first until the last metres but it was Thanh who crossed the finish line first, with a time of 2:28.21.

Lai was just one second behind his younger rival. The third position went to Triệu Tiến Luyện who finished in 2:33.39.

The winners of the 21km event were Nguyễn Trung Cường (1:07.24) in the men’s class and Đoàn Thu Hằng (1:2.09) in the women’s.

About 10,000 runners took part in the Viettel Marathon Series' second leg in Hà Nội.

Organisers also presented awards to top finishers of the 10km and 5km.

The Viettel Marathon Series is the first marathon held in three countries - Laos, Việt Nam and Cambodia - in the Indochina region. The last leg will be in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on December 22.

It is jointly organised by the Asian Athletics Association, Việt Nam Athletics Federation and Viettel in cooperation with the athletics federations of Cambodia and Laos. VNS