Runner from Kenya breaks 42km distance record, leaving defending champion Hoang Nguyen Thanh far behind

Many foreign runners were present at the 42km run.

(HGO) - At exactly 3:45 a.m. on July 7, at Hoa Binh Square, Vi Thanh city, 567 athletes (72 women and 495 men) embarked on the journey to conquer the longest route of the The 5th International Marathon " Vietcombank Mekong Delta" Hau Giang Province - 2024, distance 42km. Athletes completed the race in 7 hours.

First images of the 42km distance

Professional dancers warm up the atmosphere.

Warm up excitedly before the 42km start time.

A marathon wouldn't be complete without unique cosplay.

Together show determination to complete the longest distance.

Kenyan athlete Edwin Yebei Kiptoo, candidate for this year's championship.

Many famous athletes in the running world are present in the 42km distance this year.

Longest starting distance.

This year's 42km race will feature world-class runners such as reigning men's champion Hoang Nguyen Thanh, reigning women's champion Le Thi Tuyet, former 2022 women's champion Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa, etc., promising to bring dramatic competition for achievements.

Hoang Nguyen Thanh currently holds the record for the 42km distance for men at 2 hours 37 minutes 4 seconds; Le Thi Tuyet holds the record for the women's event at 2 hours 59 minutes 29 seconds. The female athlete who breaks the 42km distance record of this year's tournament will be awarded a place by the Organizing Committee to participate in one of the 6 most prestigious marathons in the world , the World Marathon Majors.

If the men's 42km distance is considered difficult to predict the champion because there are many strong runners, although athlete Edwin Yebei Kiptoo has an impressive sub, other names like Hoang Nguyen Thanh and Nguyen Van Long will definitely try their best.
In the women's 42km distance, there will be a competition between defending champion Le Thi Tuyet and former champion Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa.

The 21km distance starts at 4:30 am, this distance has changed from before, 15 minutes later.

21km distance with 1,631 athletes (382 female, 1,249 male), completed in 3 hours 45 minutes.

21km warm up before the start.

How to cosplay, is there a runner?

The space was filled with music and smiles. Runners from home and abroad were friendly and immersed in the race.

21km officially started. There was a light rain before the start but it cleared up later.

10km distance starts at 5:30

This distance had 2,124 athletes (635 women, 1,489 men), completed in 2 hours 15 minutes.

The 10km distance had the participation of Mr. Tran Van Huyen, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Council of Hau Giang province; Mr. Chu Van Thin, Deputy Head of Local Department 1, Central Office of the Party.

Aerial images of the 10km distance

Athlete Nguyen Dang Khoa won the 21km race before the 5km race started.

5km distance starts at 6:30

This was the final distance, with 4,610 athletes (1,930 women and 2,680 men), completing in 1 hour and 30 minutes.

5km runners start.

The “Vietcombank Mekong Delta” international marathon in Hau Giang province was first held in 2019, attracting more than 4,200 athletes; in 2020 it increased to about 7,200 athletes.

The tournament was interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, returning in 2022 with more than 8,500 athletes; in 2023, it will be over 9,000 athletes. Notably, in the 5th season, the tournament welcomed nearly 11,000 athletes competing in 6 competition distances: 1.1km (children 9-11 years old), 2.4km (teenagers 12-15 years old), 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km.

The Organizing Committee awarded Medals to athletes who participated and completed the distance within the specified time.

“Vietcombank Mekong Delta” Hau Giang is the largest marathon in the Mekong Delta, part of the VNMS scoring system. The course is standardized according to AIMS standards.
Female runner breaks 42km record, wins spot in 1 of 6 prestigious World Marathon Majors

This year's theme is "Shine together". The message of the award is "Save Mekong Delta", aiming to build a "Green Heart" for the Mekong Delta, promoting afforestation and environmental protection.

The running routes are all located in Vi Thanh city and are certified to meet international standards. Athletes can use their results to qualify for major marathons around the world.

The closing ceremony and awards ceremony is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. the same day.

Previously, on the morning of July 6, a 1.1km race for children aged 9 to 11 and a 2.4km race for teenagers aged 12 to 15 took place. There were 2,000 young runners participating.
The organizers awarded medals to the children who completed the distance and prizes to the top 3 (male and female) of each distance.

Within the framework of the 5th International Marathon "Vietcombank Mekong Delta" Hau Giang - 2024, on the morning of July 6, at Kenh 62 Street, Ward IV, Vi Thanh City, the tree planting ceremony "Mekong Delta Marathon Green Route" was held. With 100 small-leafed Barringtonia trees, planted on a 1km long route. The implementation cost of about 30 million VND was taken from ticket sales for athletes participating in the tournament.

HONG NHUNG - TRUNG QUAN - HOANG NGUYEN, DESIGN: BAO NAM

Source: https://www.baohaugiang.com.vn/mekong-delta-marathon-hau-giang-2024/runner-den-tu-kenya-pha-ky-luc-cu-ly-42km-bo-xa-duong-kim-vo-dich-hoang-nguyen-thanh-133886.html