Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa, a runner from Binh Phuoc, led for most of the women's 42 km race. However, in the final 500 m, she became fatigued, allowing Pham Thi Hong Le to overtake her and claim victory.
With 200 m remaining, Ngoc Hoa experienced "hitting the wall"—a term describing athletes who run out of energy and rely solely on willpower, appearing unsteady and dragging themselves. Despite her condition, Ngoc Hoa refused to give up, attempting to run and rest intermittently. Approximately 2 m from the finish line, she collapsed but managed to crawl across to secure second place with a time of 2 hours 44 minutes 7 seconds. Pham Thi Hong Le finished first in 2 hours 42 minutes 1 second, while Pham Huynh Yen Thu placed third with a time of 2 hours 51 minutes.
This incident prevented Hoa from defending her national title. Last year, at the same event held in Quang Tri, she finished first with little competition but suffered a painful fall.
Born in 2000 in Binh Phuoc, Ngoc Hoa is a prominent marathon runner in Vietnamese athletics. Despite not being initially highly regarded for her natural talent, she rose to prominence through sheer willpower and diligence, guided by coach Minh Thien and veteran runner Bui Luong.
Ngoc Hoa achieved significant success in 2020 and 2022, winning the national marathon and long-distance championships organized by Tien Phong Newspaper, and securing a bronze medal at SEA Games 31. Although she once faced a difficult period with her performance and considered retiring from racing, subsequent achievements, such as winning the Binh Phuoc Marathon 2023 and placing third at the Techcombank TP HCM Marathon 2023, motivated her to continue.
The year 2024 was particularly successful for Ngoc Hoa. She broke the national women's marathon record at the Hong Kong Marathon in January, clocking 2 hours 44 minutes 52 seconds, and went on to win several other major races.
Ngoc Hoa stumbled and fell, then stretched her body to crawl across the finish line to achieve second place in the 2026 national marathon championship on the morning of 29/3. Image: Tienphong Marathon
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The 2026 Tienphong Marathon national championship was held in Nha Trang, marking the 37th edition of the event. In the men's 42 km category, Hoang Nguyen Thanh secured his 7th consecutive championship with a time of 2 hours 22 minutes 13 seconds. Pham Ngoc Phan finished second in 2 hours 24 minutes 12 seconds, and veteran runner Nguyen Van Lai took third place with 2 hours 25 minutes 24 seconds.
In the men's 21 km race, Duong Minh Hung claimed first place in 1 hour 10 minutes 1 second. Le Thi Lam won the women's 21 km category with a time of 1 hour 20 minutes 14 seconds.
The men's 10 km event saw Luong Duc Phuoc finish first in 31 minutes 47 seconds. Nguyen Thi Oanh won the women's 5 km race with 16 minutes 26 seconds.
| What is "hitting the wall"? This refers to a sudden feeling of exhaustion experienced by runners, leading to an inability to maintain their pace. They may need to stop or walk because an invisible barrier seems to prevent them from moving forward. This sensation typically occurs between the 30 km and 35 km mark, or during the final kilometers of a 42,195 km marathon. According to Outside magazine, even at the Boston Marathon, where participants are experienced runners, the incidence of hitting the wall is around 30%. In Singapore, with its hot and humid climate, 78% of runners encounter this situation, ranging from mild to severe. There are two primary reasons for this condition: When a runner hits the wall, it often means they have depleted their carbohydrate energy reserves, stored in leg muscles and the liver as glycogen. During a run, this glycogen converts to glucose, the main energy source for muscle activity. The second, and more common, cause is insufficient training, resulting in weak legs unable to withstand the intense, prolonged exertion required for a 42 km race. |
Duc Dong
