Marathon

Huỳnh Anh Khôi crosses the finish line of the men's 42km race at the 2026 Techcombank Hanoi International Marathon on October 4 in Hà Nội. Photos courtesy of SEV

HÀ NỘI — Huỳnh Anh Khôi and Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ proved their domination in the national running community after winning the 2026 Techcombank Hanoi International Marathon on October 4 in Hà Nội.

The fifth edition featured more than 14,500 runners from 57 countries and territories competing in four categories: 42km, 21km, 10km and 5km. The traditional routes ran through historic landmarks such as Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the Hà Nội Flag Tower, the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum and Long Biên Bridge.

Rising star Khôi overcame all of his opponents to finish first in the men's 42km category in a time of 2:29:59. He was followed by Ethiopian Tesfaye Keress and Vietnamese Đặng Anh Quyết.

Meanwhile Lệ claimed the women’s title, clocking 2:50:41. Doãn Thị Oanh of Việt Nam finished second and Marta Tinsae Birehan from Ethiopia placed third.

Phạm Thị Hồng Lệ leading the women's 42km class.

This marked the second time in the race’s five-year history that Vietnamese athletes secured the top positions in both the men’s and women’s marathon. The results demonstrated the growing competitiveness of domestic runners in an international field.

Saeki Makino from Japan and Nguyễn Thị Oanh of Việt Nam secured the men's and women's 21km titles, respectively.

The winners of the 10km were Lương Đức Phước in the men's class and Hoàng Thị Ngọc Anh in the women's.

Nguyễn Văn Khang and Phạm Thị Bạn won the men's and women's 5km events, respectively.

Phạm Xuân Tài, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said at the awards ceremony: “The race has become a well-established annual sporting event in Hà Nội. This year, it achieved strong growth in scale, attracting nearly 15,000 athletes, the largest participation in its history. 

"In particular, the presence of international athletes and runners from provinces and cities across Việt Nam helped promote healthy living and sustainable development.”

Marathoners run past St. Joseph's Cathedral during the 2026 Techcombank Hanoi International Marathon.

Anh Võ, general manager of organisers Sunrise Events Vietnam, said: “Each time athletes take on a new challenge, they begin to realise how much further they can go.

"That is the opportunity and value we see in sport and want to continue building upon at Sunrise Events Vietnam. Our ambition is to inspire 100 million Vietnamese people to reach their full potential through sport and healthy habits."

She went on to say: "In Hà Nội, this means building a community sporting event that people aspire to join, developing communities that help them stay active throughout the year, and fostering partnerships that create more opportunities for local businesses and attract visitors to the city.

"Together with the Hà Nội authorities, Techcombank and our partners, we aim to strengthen and expand these values over the next five editions. The lasting measure of the race’s success will be the values people carry with them and continue to sustain in their lives after crossing the finish line." — VNS