At the press conference for the opening of the VnExpress Da Nang International Marathon Herbalife Cup 2026 on 17/7, Nguyen Thanh Dat, Senior Communications Director of Herbalife Vietnam, stated that Da Nang possesses numerous advantages for developing large-scale marathon events. According to Dat, the city has long been known as an attractive tourist destination, drawing a large number of domestic and international visitors. Additionally, its central location in the Central region and a network of flight routes connecting to many countries make it convenient for international athletes to travel and participate in the race.

Nguyen Thanh Dat, Senior Communications Director of Herbalife Vietnam, speaks at the opening ceremony. Photo: Duc Dong

Dat also praised Da Nang's infrastructure system and the local government's commitment to tourism and sports development. He considers these crucial factors for organizing a well-structured race, steadily improving its scale, quality, and appeal to the global running community.

"This year, the event welcomed 13,000 registered runners, including over 1,000 international athletes from 52 countries. This is a positive sign demonstrating the appeal of the VnExpress Marathon Da Nang. I believe the event has the full potential to attract more professional athletes worldwide and become an annual international marathon event", he said.

Herbalife is partnering with VnExpress Marathon Da Nang this year as a Diamond Sponsor. This marks the 17th time the company has collaborated with the VnExpress Marathon series since their partnership began in 2022.

Dat explained that supporting these running events is part of Herbalife's long-term strategy to promote an active lifestyle and encourage the community to pay more attention to nutrition and exercise.

"We aim to help more people adopt a daily exercise routine, combined with a balanced diet, to improve their health. That is Herbalife's consistent goal in partnering with marathons", he stated.

Representatives from participating organizations attend the opening ceremony of the VnExpress Da Nang International Marathon Herbalife Cup 2026. Photo: Duc Dong

Herbalife representatives commend the VnExpress Marathon as a professionally organized race series that attracts both high-achieving athletes and the running community. The company is committed to long-term collaboration and is ready to implement new initiatives to enhance the participant experience.

In addition to organizational support, Herbalife is hosting an experience booth at the Expo, offering nutrition consultations, interactive games, and opportunities to meet three prominent athletes: badminton queen Nguyen Thuy Linh, taekwondo martial artist Chau Tuyet Van, and weightlifter Le Van Cong.

According to Dat, the presence of these athletes fosters interaction and inspires people with a spirit of overcoming challenges, persistent training, and pursuing a healthy lifestyle.

From the organizing committee, Le Van Anh, Vice Head of the Organizing Committee, shared that this is the third time VnExpress Marathon has been held in Da Nang, and the number of registered runners has steadily increased each season. One significant change this year is that all four distances will start and finish at Tien Son Sports Palace. The organizing committee believes that consolidating the start and finish areas will create a more vibrant atmosphere and potentially lead to many new personal records.

Le Van Anh, Vice Head of the race's Organizing Committee, speaks at the event. Photo: Duc Dong

The Expo area remains at East Sea Park but has been expanded, featuring over 54 booths from partners and sponsors. This year's race-kit also includes the highest number of items to date, with 42 km athletes receiving up to 11 items.

Van Anh noted that Herbalife's role as a Diamond Sponsor provides additional resources to enhance the athlete experience and helps the organizing committee spread the message of making sports a daily habit for the public.

"I believe that Da Nang will not only be a livable city or a famous tourist destination but will also become a destination for runners to conquer marathons every july", she affirmed.

Minh Ngoc