Nearly 2,000 runners compete at Ha Long Bay Heritage Marathon

Almost 2,000 runners from over 60 countries participates in the fourth Interntional Ha Long Bay Heritage Marathon on November 25 (Photo: VNA)

The fourth International Ha Long Bay Heritage Marathon took place in Ha Long city, the northeastern province of Quang Ninh, on November 25, attracting almost 2,000 runners from over 60 countries.

The runners competed in the 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km categories of the tourney whose running course was selected one of the best around the globe by the Runner’s World UK magazine.

This year’s event saw the participation of many professional athletes such as Lee Grantham from the UK – the world’s 100km champion in 2017, and Nguyen Tien Hung from Vietnam – the Southeast Asian champion at the China-ASEAN International Marathon in Guangxi province in November.

Notably, Low Kuan Sow, a 76-year-old Malaysian, became the oldest runner in the 42km category.

Lee Grantham and Nguyen Tien Hung finished first and second in the 42km race, respectively.

Ha Long Bay Heritage Marathon is held annually on the last Saturday of November, featuring races along the stunning coastline of Ha Long Bay – a world heritage recognised by UNESCO.

The fourth edition was organised by the provincial Department of Culture and Sports, the municipal Ha Long People’s Committee, and the Duc Huong Co. Ltd. It was also part of the National Tourism Year 2018 that focused on Ha Long and Quang Ninh.

VNA