Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon is one of the biggest marathon tournaments in Southeast Asia with a scale of 50,000 participants. The booth of VnExpress Marathon at the expo area attracted a large number of visitors. Many runners from other countries were surprised that Vietnam has such a large-scale marathon system held in famous tourist cities.
Johnson, a Canadian working in Singapore was impressed with the photos of VnExpress marathons held this year in Hue, Quy Nhon, Ha Long, Nha Trang, and Hanoi. The Canadian runner, who had visited HCMC and Nha Trang previously, said he really likes Vietnam and has plans to come back again.
"I decided to register for VM Nha Trang which will commence next August. So I will not only experience the beautiful sea, delicious food but also the exciting marathon," Johnson said.
Johnson (L) and his friend check in at the VnExpress Marathon booth at Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon expo area on December 1, 2022. Photo by Van Anh |
Vi, a Vietnamese American, has competed in many marathons in Singapore, Thailand, Germany, England, Japan, but has never experienced a tournament in his homeland. He was suprised by the scale of the VnExpress Marathon system and also the development of the Vietnam marathon community, so he was excited about the opportunity to participate in once. Vi has not returned to Vietnam for 10 years. Next year, his family plans to go back to Vietnam in June and he may attend VM Quy Nhon or Nha Trang.
French runner David has fallen in love with the landscape, history and culture of Vietnam after a trip to Da Nang. He decided to visit Vietnam again to join VM Nha Trang. "This is one of the most beautiful destinations in Vietnam with modern tourism infrastructure and complete services," said David.
VM Nha Trang 2023 will commenced in August 2023. Khanh Hoa Provincial People's Committee has affirmed to cooperate with the organizer to develop the tournament into an international event, combining marathons with tourism products.
At the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon expo, the VnExpress Marathon booth introduced five tournaments to be held in 2023.
Tournaments in coastal cities, such as Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Ha Long, received a lot of attention from European runners. The midnight races in Hanoi and HCMC are also highly appreciated for the unique experience in Vietnam's two biggest cities.
Beside exploring VnExpress Marathon system, visitors to the booth also received a conical hat (non la) as a symbol of Vietnamese culture.
Foreign runners learn about VM tournaments. Photo by Van Anh |
In 2023, VnExpress Marathon is expected to expand in scale and number of tournaments, starting with a midnight run in HCMC (February), then in Hue (April), Quy Nhon (June), Nha Trang (August), Ha Long (September), Hanoi (November) and Hai Phong (December).
The tracks will be measured and certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races. With the AIMS standard, runners can use the results at VnExpress Marathon tournaments to apply for major world races such as the Boston Marathon, London Marathon, or Berlin Marathon.
Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon has been the leading tournament in Singapore since 1982. The appearance of VnExpress Marathon's booth here marked a milestone for the tournament on its journey to expand into the region.
Register for VnExpress Marathon Marvelous Nha Trang 2023 here.