32 runners complete sub-3 hour marathon at VM HCMC Midnight

By Thanh Lan February 16, 2023 | 10:18 pm PT

Thirty two out of 1,600 full marathon runners finished the VnExpress Marathon HCMC Midnight 2023 in under three hours (sub 3), mostly amateurs, making the tournament with the most sub 3 runners in the VnExpress races.

Some of the runners are familiar names within the Vietnamese marathon community, including Dang Anh Quyet, Vu Dinh Duan, Hoang Duc Huy, Le Van Tuan, To Tan Tai, Tran Tuan Vu, Truong Van Tam, and Trinh Dinh An.

Ha Thi Hau was the only female runner making the list, finishing the marathon in 2 hours, 56 minutes, and 50 seconds.

Nguyen Tran Minh Duc, one of marathoner running a sub hour marathon at VM Ho Chi Minh City Midnight. Photo by VM

Nguyen Tran Minh Duc at VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight. Photo by VM

Nguyen Tran Minh Duc, a runner on the sub 3 hour list, said: "Finishing the race motivated me to set a higher goal this year, including attending the Boston Marathon."

Kenyan runner Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo, the winner of the men’s 42-kilometer marathon, said the night race saw intense competition among Vietnamese runners.

There was only little gap between top 10 runners and other athletes ranked behind, Omullo said.

Kenyan runner Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo at the finishing line of VnExpress Midnight Marathon in Ho Chi Minh City February 12, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

Kenyan runner Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo at the finishing line of VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight on February 12, 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Thoa

The global average time for a marathon stands at around 4 hours. According to experts, a sub-4 marathon runner only requires practice and discipline, while sub-3 hour marathon runners need perseverance and a gift for running.

World-renowned marathons such as the Boston Marathon set the sub 3 hour as the standard for the 18 to 34 age group.

At VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2023, 68 runners finished the full marathon in less than 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Thirty-four of some 5,000 half marathon runners completed the race in under 1 hour and 30 minutes.

In addition to the record for the most sub-3 hour runners, VM Ho Chi Minh City Midnight also saw a new record set by the Kenyan champion, Omull. He finished the full marathon in 2 hours, 30 minutes and 3 seconds, the fastest result ever in the history of VnExpress Marathon.

VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2023 took place on February 12. More than VND1 billion (US$42,000) in prize money was awarded to runners.