VPBank Hanoi International Marathon - a catalyst for nurturing sportsmanship in the community

With more than 11,000 athletes from 25 countries and territories, this year's event continues to affirm its position as one of the most professional and prestigious international marathons in Vietnam.

VPBank Hanoi International Marathon officially opened on the evening of October 24 at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.

Honoring the spirit of sportsmanship - awakening community prosperity

The most anticipated annual race of the year - VPBank Hanoi International Marathon 2025 - officially opened at the Hoan Kiem Lake walking space, with the participation of representatives from the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and Vietnam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) - the main organizer.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Pham Xuan Tai - Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports affirmed that VPBank Hanoi International Marathon is not only a race, but also a journey to discover the very unique spirit of Hanoi - elegant, ancient, lively and inspiring.

Mr. Pham Xuan Tai also acknowledged that the tournament attracting 11,000 athletes from 25 countries and territories once again affirmed the position of the Capital - an integrated, dynamic, open city and ready to spread cultural - sports - tourism values to the region and the world.

“We believe that events like VPBank Hanoi International Marathon will be an important catalyst to foster the sporting spirit among the people, promote the image of the capital to international friends, and at the same time create profound and long-lasting community values,” Mr. Pham Xuan Tai emphasized.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Duong, Director of Communications & Marketing, VPBank.

At the event, the representative of the Organizing Committee - Ms. Nguyen Thuy Duong, Director of Communications & Marketing Division, said that VPBank wishes to make this marathon a symbol of a journey of sustainable prosperity - starting from physical health, positive spirit and community cohesion.

“In its 32-year development journey, VPBank has been steadfast in its mission of “For a prosperous Vietnam”, in which community sports is one of the core strategies to spread a healthy, humane and responsible lifestyle.”

In particular, this year's race continues to accompany the community activity "Planting trees - Retaining water - Creating livelihoods" in collaboration with TreeBank. For each athlete completing the race, the Organizing Committee will contribute 30,000 VND to the bamboo planting project to prevent floods in Nghe An province. At the finish line, a "Prosperity Tree" model was set up so that participants could stick their bibs as a symbolic act of sowing green seeds for the future of the community.

With its large scale, professionalism, wide reach and deep community spirit, VPBank Hanoi International Marathon 2025 is not only an international sporting event, but also becomes a cultural - tourism - lifestyle highlight of Hanoi. In the context of the city promoting sustainable urban development, stimulating tourism and improving the quality of life, the race is a model of social cooperation, with effective cooperation between businesses - government - people.

Festive atmosphere in the heart of the capital

On October 24 and 25, the walking street around Hoan Kiem Lake became the city's focal point when thousands of athletes and people flocked to receive bibs, race kits and visit the Marathon Expo area. The festive atmosphere spread throughout the streets, where nutritional products, sports equipment, gifts and experiential activities from nearly 30 accompanying brands such as Coolmate, DHC, Pocari Sweat, Camel, Medlatec, AIA, LynkID... were displayed.

Each race kit is personalized according to distance and athlete, containing many practical items such as high-tech jerseys, energy gels, sports bags, and resort vouchers - demonstrating the careful investment and commitment to "putting athletes at the center" of the Organizing Committee. The check-in area, photo booth, and interactive booth attract many young people, KOLs, and influencers in the runner community to interact and spread sports inspiration.

VPBank Hanoi International Marathon 2025 turns Hoan Kiem Lake walking street into a festival this weekend.

Ms. Nguyen Phuong Anh (Cau Giay Ward) said: “Every time I come to receive my bib, I am excited, but this year I am especially impressed. VPBank has truly turned the race into a real festival - both professional and intimate”. Sharing the same opinion, many athletes also appreciated the tournament's constant improvement in organization and increased comprehensive experience from before, during and after the race.

This year's race also recorded many notable innovations in operations, such as real-time timing system, automatic performance measurement, facial recognition photography - allowing athletes to track results and save memories easily and modernly. With distances of 5km - 10km - 21km - 42km meeting AIMS standards, VPBank Hanoi International Marathon creates conditions for amateur and professional athletes to conquer challenges, improve their achievements and aim for the international arena.

VPBank Prime Night Music Night: A sublime start to the sports journey

On the evening of October 24, within the framework of the opening ceremony of the race, tens of thousands of spectators and runners immersed themselves in the enthusiastic atmosphere at the VPBank Prime Night music night - one of the highlights of the series of events. The participation of famous singers RHYDER, Ha Nhi, Vu Thao My, Juky San, DJ KS brought a colorful music party.

Stage lighting, modern music and a warm crowd created an inspirational night of exchange. According to many athletes, the music night was not only a spiritual reward before the race but also a place to connect the community, ignite positive energy and excitement.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/vpbank-hanoi-international-marathon-chat-xuc-tac-nuoi-duong-tinh-than-the-thao-trong-cong-dong-720899.html