A runner completes a marathon race in Hội An ancient town. The UNESCO-recognised world heritage site plans to host a leg of the Viettel Marathon Series in 2025. VNS Photo Công Thành

QUẢNG NAM – The central province plans to host a leg of the Viettel Marathon Series – the first Indochina cross running event – during its second edition this November, aiming at promoting the sports and heritage rendezvous tourism of the province, central Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia.

Director of the provincial Culture, Sports and Tourism department, Nguyễn Thanh Hồng said the offer has been made by the Việt Nam Athletics Federation (VAF), with the ancient town of Hội An replacing the capital for the Vietnamese leg.

He said the marathon will be running across three legs – Luang Prabang, Laos in October, Hội An-Việt Nam in November and Angkor Wat, Cambodia in December – promoting all three as world heritage destinations.

According to VAF, the marathon is expected to attract between 25,000 to 27,000 runners from Asia, along with those from the marathon powerhouses of the US, France, Australia, Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and Africa.

It’s also an opportunity for elite Vietnamese marathoners to test their skills and experience levels in a race against world top athletes.

Last year, the three-leg event was hosted in Hà Nội, Luang Prabang and Angkor Wat, with the participation of 24,000 runners.

A road in the Old Quarter of Hội An ancient town. Organisers say it is an ideal destination for a sporting event, ready to welcome runners and visitors from across the world. Photo courtesy of Hội An City's Culture and Sports Centre

Vietnamese runners Hoàng Nguyên Thanh and Nguyễn Thị Hoàng Oanh won the men’s and women’s full-marathon titles in the Hà Nội leg, while Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ and Nguyễn Văn Lai took the first prizes in Cambodia leg.

Amateur marathoner Lê Hùng Cường from Việt Nam bagged the men’s full-marathon division in Laos leg with Lao Lodkeo Inthakounmman winning the women’s division.

Hội An – a UNESCO-recognised world heritage site in Quảng Nam – had been hosting a series of of international marathon events from 2017.

Quảng Nam is the only destination in Việt Nam with two world heritage sites -- Hội An ancient town and the Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, and the world biosphere reserve of Chàm Islands-Hội An.