On the morning of 21/12, VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong 2025 took place in Hai Phong City with over 14,000 athletes participating. Organizers recorded 124 runners achieving a sub-3 finish (42 km in under three hours). This significantly broke the previous record of 90 athletes set in the 2024 season.

In the men's category, Hoang Viet Vi Ly led the sub-3 group with a time of 2 hours, 26 minutes, and 44 seconds. Trinh Minh Tam followed with 2 hours, 28 minutes, and 42 seconds. Many familiar faces on the running circuit, such as Hua Thuan Long, Dao Ba Thanh, Le Van Tuan, and Dan Quyet, also achieved strong times. Meanwhile, Bui Van Phu was the last runner to make it onto the honor roll, crossing the finish line at 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds, just in time for his achievement to be recorded. Just one second slower, this runner would have missed the sub-3 list.

Dan Quyet and many sub-3 runners on the racecourse on the morning of 21/12. Photo: VnExpress Marathon.

In the women's category, Pham Thi Hong Le made a significant impact by breaking her personal record, completing 42 km in 2 hours and 42 minutes. The 1998-born runner continued her dominant streak at a VnExpress Marathon event. Notably, behind Hong Le, seven other female runners: Le Thi Lam, Doan Oanh, Ngoc Lan, Ngoc Dung, Yen Thu, Khanh Linh, and Tra Giang, also finished. This marks the first time a domestic marathon has seen up to eight female athletes finish in under three hours, indicating a clear improvement in the professional quality of the women's elite group.

According to coaches and veteran runners, the rapid increase in sub-3 finishers stems not only from the expanding running movement but also from more structured training systems, personalized training data, and athletes' serious investment in races with favorable courses and professional organization. Hai Phong, in the past two seasons, has been dubbed by the community as "the course of personal records," as many runners improved their personal bests due to the straight, flat, almost entirely gradient-free track. Additionally, comfortable temperatures in late December provided optimal conditions for performance.

Hoang Viet Vi Ly, Dao Ba Thanh, Le Van Tuan on the 42km racecourse. Photo: VnExpress Marathon.

Beyond the sub-3 group, this year's VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong also set a record of 14,000 athletes, demonstrating strong community reception. Compared to the most recent season, total registrations increased by approximately 1,4 times. Notably, for the first time, the number of athletes registered for the 42km distance surpassed the half-marathon distance, indicating a shift in the running community from seeking experience to pursuing higher performance standards.

Due to the large number of participants, this year, the 42 km distance started at 2:30h, 30 minutes earlier than in 2024, to mitigate temperature impact and ensure the safety of long-distance runners. The course cut-off time (COT) was reduced to 6 hours, instead of 6 hours and 30 minutes as in the previous season. The starting area was at Nguyen Du flower garden, with the finish line at Do Son.

14,000 athletes participated in VM Hai Phong 2025. Photo: VnExpress Marathon.

With 124 sub-3 finishers, VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong 2025 set a new milestone for Vietnamese marathon running. According to the organizers, this figure is not merely statistical; it also indicates a rising professional standard, paving the way for domestic races to approach regional benchmarks and becoming a year-end destination for runners aiming for personal records.

Hoai Phuong