Marathon

Huỳnh Anh Khôi wins the VPBank Hanoi International Marathon 2025 in style. Photos courtesy of VPBank

HÀ NỘI Huỳnh Anh Khôi and Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ dominated the six VPBank Hanoi International Marathon 2025 on October 26, leaving rivals in their wake.

Khôi, a rising star in marathon running, shattered his own personal best in the men's 42km race.

Up against formidable opponents including SEA Games 5,000m and 10,000m champion Nguyễn Văn Lai and seasoned runner Đặng Anh Quyết, Khôi maintained control throughout the race and crossed the finish line first in 2hr 25.15min.

His winning time sliced roughly two minutes off the 2:27.18 he clocked just a month earlier at the HDBank Green Marathon.

Lai came second with 2:26.11, while Nguyễn Đức Thọ was third, timing 2:37.40.

In the women’s division, former SEA Games 10,000m champion Lệ left competitors far behind almost immediately after the start, asserting her dominance with characteristic speed and poise.

Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ crosses the finish line.

She ran solo for almost the entire race and won with a time of 2:53.57, placing her in the top 15 of the entire marathon.

Doãn Thị Oanh was second with 2:55.25, followed by Thái Thị Hồng on 3:03.52.

In the 21km event, Makino Saeki from Japan won the men's category (1:13.02), while Vietnamese Nguyễn Khánh Ly claimed the women's title (1:25.07).

The organisers also presented awards to winners of the 10km, 5km, and age-group events.

The 2025 edition saw about 11,000 runners compete on AIMS-certified routes that led them past more than 30 of the city's landmarks and historic sites, including Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Long Biên Bridge, President Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum, and Hanoi Opera House.

In addition to being a sports event, the VPBank Hanoi International Marathon 2025 was also a cultural and tourism festival.

During its three days of activities, more than 50,000 athletes, supporters, and visitors checked in at the Expo area, where they took part in a range of activities such as a live music night, product tests, mini games, and photo opportunities with sponsor brands.

Marathoners pass a corner of Hà Nội's Old Quarter.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Phạm Xuân Tà, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture and Sports, said: "The number of athletes from 25 countries at this year's tournament shows the growing appeal of Hà Nội on the international sports map.

"More importantly, the tournament has contributed to stimulating tourism, creating a clear mark in the city's sustainable development strategy of culture, sports and tourism."

This year, the organising committee also linked sport with community responsibility. Each finisher contributed the equivalent of VNĐ30,000 (US$1.13) to a fund to plant bamboo trees to prevent floods in Nghệ An Province.

With about 7,000 BIBs hung on the 'Prosperity Tree' at the finish area, a total of nearly VNĐ200 million was donated to the fund.

Runners hang their BIBs on the "Prosperity Tree" to raise funds for bamboo planting to prevent floods in Nghệ An Province.

Lê Thị Hoàng Yến, deputy director of the Sports Authority of Việt Nam, highly appreciated VPBank's role in organising the tournament, creating a running race that inspired healthy living, demonstrated social responsibility and aimed for green and sustainable sports.

Meanwhile, Nguyễn Thùy Dương, head of Việt Nam Prosperity Joint-Stock Commercial Bank's (VPBank) Marketing and Communications Centre, said: “Prosperity is not only about finance, but also about health, spirit and connection. The race is our way of walking alongside the community on its journey toward healthier, more positive living.” VNS