On the morning of 14/9, over 9,000 participants took part in the four-distance race (42, 21, 10, and 5 km) in Can Tho. Instead of aiming for personal bests, some runners chose to express themselves through unique and unusual costumes.

Runner Quoc Phong attracted attention dressed as Superman. This costume provided him with some memorable photo opportunities.

Runners Phuc Rau and Le Tai dressed up as a "Taoist priest and a hopping vampire," two characters often seen in Chinese culture. While talismans are used for exorcism in movies, at the VnExpress Marathon Can Tho, the talisman on runner Le Tai's forehead read "finisher talisman," implying it would help him reach the finish line.

Runner Truc Dao chose a vibrant costume with blue and purple patterns. She wore a wig, carried a ukulele, and donned pointy ears, reminiscent of elves or catwomen in Western culture. She ran the 21 km race.

In black and gold metallic costumes, striped scarves, and gold capes, this group of runners transformed into Pharaohs and Egyptian queens.

Runner Quoc Loi cosplayed as a maid. He participated in the 21 km race and was seen here running across Ninh Kieu Bridge.

Nhat Minh, Thuy Trang, and Gavin Pham dressed up as Condor Hero, Little Dragon Maiden, and Yang Guo, respectively - famous characters from Jin Yong's novel The Return of the Condor Heroes.

Two female runners wore traditional "ao ba ba" attire, checkered scarves, and carried baskets of rice, bamboo baskets, and ammo pouches on their shoulders. This costume recreated the image of guerilla fighters traversing mountains and streams in the western region during wartime.

Runners dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing, such as "ao dai," "yem dao," and "ao ba ba," created a festive atmosphere along the race route.

A male runner dressed as a tiger, the mascot of the healthcare brand Tiger Balm. At the VnExpress Marathon Can Tho, Tiger Balm provided care and recovery services at the expo area, helping athletes warm up before the start, relax, and receive muscle-relaxing massages after finishing.

Runner Quach Phuong dressed as No-Face (Kaonashi) from the anime film "Spirited Away" by Studio Ghibli, Japan. A regular participant in the VnExpress Marathon series, he often embodies this character.

In Can Tho, he maintained the No-Face persona but added a conical hat, checkered scarf, palm-leaf fan, and a bamboo basket containing fish and rice, creating a familiar yet unique, humorous, and distinctly western region image.

Cosplay is a trend at races in Vietnam and internationally. At major marathons like the Tokyo Marathon or London Marathon, cosplaying runners are an integral part, adding a unique touch to the event.

Photo: VnExpress Marathon

Hai Long