500 international runners to participate in VPBank VM Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2024

Scheduled to kick off on March 3, the marathon boasts the highest number of international runners ever recorded in the VnExpress Marathon series.

Hiroki Nakajima from Japan finishes first at VnExpress Marathon Nha Trang 2023. Photo by VM

Japan is the only country besides Kenya to have champions in the VnExpress Marathon system. Hiroki Nakajima outpaced Kenyan competitors to secure first place at VM Nha Trang 2023's full marathon, clocking in at 2 hours and 33 minutes.

The United Kingdom is the country with the third most participants (after Vietnam and Japan), with nearly 50 runners. Following them are groups from the United States, Germany, France, South Korea, South Africa, and others.

Nearly 30 international athletes at this year's HCMC race are over 60 years old. Among them, Kuo-Hua Lu from Taiwan, 68, has the best registered results, having completed a full marathon in under 3 hours and 30 minutes, presenting a formidable challenge in the upcoming competition.

Katherine, a 37-year-old French runner who has lived and worked in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for 5 years, has participated in eight VnExpress marathons, out of her total 17 marathon events.

"The atmosphere at night in Ho Chi Minh City is always different. I ran in this event last year and was impressed by the professional and safe routes, along with the support from the organizers," said the female runner.

The VnExpress Marathon system observed a notable rise in the number of international runners as well as their performance results. Events held in Ho Chi Minh City, Quy Nhon, Nha Trang, and Ha Long witnessed foreign athletes securing victories across both the 21 km and 42 km distances. The number of foreign athletes per event has surged from approximately 100 to 500, indicating a growing interest in Vietnam's marathon scene.

Josh Smith, a teacher in Ho Chi Minh City, organized a group with dozens of parents, teachers, and students to participate in the VM HCMC Midnight 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

The VPBank VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2024 is expected to draw 11,000 runners, who will receive medical care, water, electrolytes, and safety assurance like in other events.

All four routes meet AIMS standards. Runners can use their results from this event to register for major events in Boston, London, and Berlin.

This year, VnExpress Marathon will send the records of athletes participating in the 42-kilometer race to Abbott World Marathon Majors Wanda. The results will be ranked with athletes from across the world in the AbbottWMM Wanda Age Group World Rankings leaderboard. Qualified athletes in various age groups will be invited to participate in the 2025 World Championship. The result is based on the fastest time in a VnExpress Marathon event.

VPBank VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight marks the collaboration of two prestigious and experienced names in organizing and operating large-scale running events: VPBank and VnExpress Marathon. Previously, the two sides signed a strategic cooperation agreement to organize the Ho Chi Minh City Midnight Run for 5 years from 2024 to 2028.

The two successfully organized the VPBank Hanoi International Marathon in October 2023.