Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon becomes a signature tourism product of the city

That is the comment of Mr. Pham Huy Binh, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism about the 8th Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon.

Gathering 23,000 athletes, the highest in the country

The Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon has ended with great success, officially becoming the marathon event with the largest number of participants in Vietnam with more than 23,000 athletes from 81 countries and territories, an increase of more than 30% compared to last year. This is the highest increase in the history of 8 seasons, continuing to affirm the growing attraction of the race and the leading position of Ho Chi Minh City on the map of community tourism and sports.

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.

Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon attracts many foreign participants

PHOTO: NT

Speaking at the event, Mr. Pham Huy Binh, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said: "With its growing scale and influence, the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon has become a typical tourism product of the City. The combination of sports , culture and tourism creates a unique highlight, contributing to attracting tourists, increasing experiences and affirming the Ho Chi Minh City brand on the regional tourism map."

Ms. Thai Minh Diem Tu, Director of Marketing at Techcombank, shared: "For nearly a decade, Techcombank has been a companion in creating a healthy living foundation through the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon, spreading the spirit of "Running for a superior Vietnam", joining hands to build a healthy, prosperous and happy community. And these are also positive contributions to realizing Resolution 72-NQ/TW of the Politburo on improving people's stature, longevity and physical activity rate, helping Vietnam develop more strongly in the era of national development."

National sporting event, according to international standards

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.

Athlete Pham Thi Hong Le won the women's Marathon race.

In the men's Marathon (42.195 km), the competition was fierce until the last kilometers. Ayalew Seleshi Simaneh from Ethiopia made a strong sprint to finish first in 2:23:13, winning the overall title. Wondale Melsew Baye followed in second, while Kebede Leta Girma from Ethiopia finished in third place in 2:23:25 and 2:23:34. The remaining two positions in the Top 5 belonged to Damte Wendwesen Tilahun from Ethiopia in 2:23:54 and Kenyan Kogei Hosea in 2:24:34, ending the marathon race in a dramatic way.

In the women's Marathon, athlete Pham Thi Hong Le overcame a series of strong opponents to finish first with a time of 2:48:10. The next three positions respectively belonged to Ethiopian athletes: Mohamed Yenework Husen, Birehan Marta Tinsae and Zega Mestu Sirabzu. Fifth place belonged to athlete Doan Oanh. The performance of the two Vietnamese athletes among the international athletes demonstrated the competitiveness and breakthrough of the country's athletes, creating a proud moment for the audience.

After hours of intense competition, the season ended with 108 athletes, community clubs and businesses achieving outstanding results being honored in the overall and age group categories.

Overall first place in the Marathon, female athlete Pham Thi Hong Le, shared at the finish line: "Today's victory is not only for me, but also an affirmation of the Vietnamese people's perseverance. I am very proud to compete in an international marathon right in my homeland. I believe that events like this will continue to nurture the young generation of athletes, helping Vietnamese sports become more professional, sustainable and full of ambition."

The 8th Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon continues to demonstrate the far-reaching impact of a national-scale community sporting event of international standards. The success of the season comes from the close coordination between the city government, Vietnam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) - Strategic Sponsor, the organizer Sunrise Events Vietnam and its partners. This collaboration creates a solid foundation for the race to continuously improve its quality, expand its scale, reach the regional level and spread positive values ​​to the community.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/giai-marathon-quoc-te-tphcm-techcombank-tro-thanh-san-pham-du-lich-dac-trung-cua-thanh-pho-185251207201633902.htm