Le Van Huong, the reigning 21km VnExpress Marathon Hue champion with a time of 1 hour 11 minutes 8 seconds, will return to the ancient capital's racecourse. In the 2025 season, the runner from Nghe An's athletics team made a mark with a series of impressive achievements. In less than one month, he successively won the 21km race in Hue, took the 42km title at Den Hung Marathon, and then finished first at the Public Security sector's race.

Despite competing less in the last six months, the runner, born in 2002, remains a notable name among the top contenders due to his strong professional foundation and consistent performance.

Hoang Viet Vi Ly, a runner born in 2004 from Bac Ninh, is a top candidate for the championship. He currently holds a 21km personal record of 1 hour 10 minutes and surprised many by winning VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong 2025 in his first attempt at the full marathon distance.

Entering 2026, Vi Ly stated he still prioritizes the 21km distance, his specialty, which has helped him make a mark in many major races. His participation in Hue this time is an opportunity for the young runner to continue asserting his position among the leading competitors.

An interesting unknown in this year's 21km race is Trieu Tien Luyen, a runner from Lam Dong. At 24, Tien Luyen is an experienced runner, known for his pacing ability and late-race acceleration.

At VnExpress Marathon Can Tho in September 2025, he delivered an impressive surge in the decisive kilometers to overtake Truong Tri Tam and Ly Nhan Tin, thereby securing the 21km championship. Luyen's best performance is 1 hour 11 minutes 2 seconds, set at Tien Phong Marathon 2024.

Trinh Minh Tam is a rapidly improving face in the men's marathon group. From a milestone of 2 hours 40 minutes at VnExpress Marathon Nha Trang 2025, he shattered his personal record at the All-Star event in February this year with a time of 2 hours 26 minutes.

Minh Tam's current 21km personal record is 1 hour 11 minutes 44 seconds, set in Hue last season. The race on 19/4 will also be an occasion for him to return to this distance in 2026, aiming for a new milestone.

Compared to this year's young elite field, Truong Van Tam represents an experienced runner. Born in 1991, he is both a runner and a running coach, possessing an extensive list of achievements in both full and half marathons. Earlier this year, Van Tam set a personal record at Tet Run Mien Nam with a time of 1 hour 12 minutes 43 seconds.

His form continues as the male runner won the 21km amateur category at the Tien Phong Marathon two weeks ago. This series of positive results recently makes Van Tam a formidable contender on the Hue racecourse.

In the women's category, Pham Thi Hong Le is a top contender for the championship. Her experience and the foundation of a professional athlete allow her to often dominate many races within the VnExpress Marathon system.

In the 21km distance, the runner from Gia Lai has won Tien Phong Marathon for four consecutive years from 2022-2025, while maintaining good form in many major half marathons. However, this year's 21km race in Hue promises to be challenging as she will compete with many young national team members who have very close results.

Le Thi Lam from Ha Tinh has not competed much in the 42km distance since the beginning of this year, instead focusing primarily on the 21km. Last March, she made a mark by winning the 21km professional category at Tien Phong Marathon.

At 21, Lam currently holds a personal record of 1:18:22, less than a minute behind Hong Le.

Doan Thi Oanh is a regular winner in the 21km distance at VnExpress Marathon events. At Hanoi Midnight 2025, the physical education teacher from Vinh Phuc set a personal record of 1 hour 19 minutes 13 seconds.

With this performance, Oanh is currently the top-performing female amateur runner, and also ranks among the top 10 on the women's half marathon honor roll of Vietnam's Best Marathons.

Reigning champion Hoang Thi Ngoc Anh returns to VnExpress Marathon Hue after her victory in the 2025 season. Although only 20 years old, the young talent from the Vietnam athletics team is still a formidable opponent in the 21km distance.

At Tien Phong Marathon last March, she finished second to Le Thi Lam by a 6-second margin, also setting a new personal record of 1:20:20.

Nguyen Khanh Ly is a consistent performer over the past year, frequently achieving podium finishes in major races. The runner from Da Nang's athletics team currently holds a 21km personal record of 1 hour 19 minutes 49 seconds, set at Tien Phong Marathon 2025.

At last year's national athletics event, she won three medals on the same competition day, demonstrating a strong physical foundation and remarkable consistency.

Hai Long