Although Kenyan athletes dominated the men's distances, the spotlight of the tournament belonged to former national track and field athlete Pham Thi Hong Le, who marked an impressive return with her 17th championship in the VnExpress Marathon system.
In the women's full marathon (42km), Hong Le not only won but also played a rare leading role. She proactively led the sub-3 group, with dozens of male runners choosing to follow to maintain a stable pace. Forming a group with similar performance helps athletes share the wind, support water refueling and maintain a steady spirit throughout the long journey.
As the final few kilometers – the decisive stage of the race – began to separate, each person pursuing their own goals. In that context, Hong Le still maintained an impressive speed and finished first with a time of 2 hours 56 minutes, surpassing her closest rival Vu Khanh Linh by 44 seconds.
This victory marks the 17th time she has stood on the highest podium at the largest running system in Vietnam, affirming her enduring position as one of the top female runners.
In the men’s 42km event, Kenyan Ezekiel Kipruto Kemboi beat compatriot Takele Kure to win. Despite expectations, Huynh Anh Khoi – who had just set a personal record of 2 hours 23 minutes a week ago – could not make the top 3. Kemboi finished first with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes 20 seconds, 2 minutes faster than Kure. Meanwhile, Trinh Minh Tam – a runner from Gia Lai who only entered the full marathon event this year – finished third with 2 hours 27 minutes, also setting a new personal record.
In the men’s half marathon (21km), Samuel Kalalei – another Kenyan athlete – won. He led from the start and maintained a steady pace until the end, finishing first with a time of 1 hour 8 minutes 55 seconds. This number is similar to the level of Vietnamese athletes, but Kalalei said he can still improve. Due to an early flight schedule at 9am on November 30, Kalalei had to leave Hanoi immediately after the race and did not have time to receive the award.
The 21km distance for women saw significant progress from domestic runners. Doan Thi Oanh won with a time of 1 hour 19 minutes 13 seconds, while Hoang Thi Ngoc Anh achieved 1 hour 20 minutes 30 seconds. Both set new personal records, at the same time approaching the old record, joining the group of fastest half marathon athletes in Vietnam today.
In the 10km race, the race between Le Van Ba and Yeunsik Ham was fierce. The two athletes ran side by side for almost the entire distance. At the last corner, Ham, a 46-year-old Korean tourist, broke away thanks to a better corner choice. He won with a time of 34 minutes and 28 seconds, exactly 4 seconds faster than Van Ba. Ham said he only signed up to run to test his strength during a trip with his wife, but did not expect to win first place.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/cuu-tuyen-thu-pham-thi-hong-le-vo-dich-giai-vnexpress-marathon-hanoi-midnight-2025-725241.html
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