The closing ceremony and awards presentation were honored to welcome leaders from Ho Chi Minh City – the organizing body of the competition: Mr. Nguyen Van Dung – City Party Committee member, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee; Mr. Pham Huy Binh - Director of the Department of Tourism ; Mr. Nguyen Trung Hinh - Vice President of the Vietnam Athletics Federation, Vice President and General Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Athletics Federation; along with the presence of leaders from various departments, agencies, partners, sponsors, guests, and athletes.
Notably, this year's season witnessed impressive performances by Vietnamese athletes competing with many international athletes. In particular, athlete Pham Thi Hong Le won the championship in the women's marathon. In the men's category, the half marathon distance, the intense competition at the finish line between champion Duong Minh Hung and Pham Ngoc Phan - with the result being less than 1 second apart, finishing close at 1:09:25, became the highlight of the 2025 season. At the same time, the race recorded a significant increase in the number of young athletes participating in the 5km and 10km distances, reflecting the strong attraction and increasingly widespread spread of the race in the community.
This year’s season continues to show the clear maturity of the Vietnamese marathon movement. Professional quality has been raised as the race track gathers many experienced faces alongside a force of young, rising athletes… creating a more competitive season than ever. The fact that many groups and clubs choose the tournament as their main competition goal also contributes to improving the level of preparation, training discipline and competition strategy in the community.
In the men's marathon (42.195 km), the competition was intense until the very last kilometers. Ethiopian athlete Ayalew Seleshi Simaneh surged ahead in the final sprint to cross the finish line first with a time of 2:23:13, securing the overall victory. Wondale Melsew Baye finished second, while Kebede Leta Girma finished third with times of 2:23:25 and 2:23:34, both from Ethiopia. The remaining two positions in the Top 5 went to Damte Wendwesen Tilahun from Ethiopia with a time of 2:23:54 and Kenyan athlete Kogei Hosea, who finished in 2:24:34, concluding the dramatic marathon race.
In the women's marathon, athlete Pham Thi Hong Le overcame a series of strong competitors to finish first with a time of 2:48:10. The next three positions went to Ethiopian athletes Mohamed Yenework Husen, Birehan Marta Tinsae, and Zega Mestu Sirabzu. Fifth place went to Doan Oanh. The performance of the two Vietnamese athletes amidst the international competition showcased the competitive spirit and breakthrough ability of Vietnamese athletes, creating a moment of great pride for the audience.
After hours of intense competition, the season concluded with 108 athletes, community clubs, and businesses achieving outstanding results and being honored in the overall categories and age groups.
The 8th Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon continues to demonstrate the far-reaching influence of a national-level community sporting event that meets international standards. The success of this season stems from the close collaboration between the City government, Techcombank (Vietnam Technological and Commercial Bank) – the Strategic Sponsor, Sunrise Events Vietnam – the organizer, and other partners. This joint effort creates a solid foundation for the race to continuously improve its quality, expand its scale, reach regional prominence, and spread positive values to the community.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/giai-marathon-quoc-te-thanh-pho-ho-chi-minh-techcombank-khang-dinh-tam-voc-quoc-te-post1803503.tpo
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