The attraction of Hanoi Heritage Race when Vietnam is experiencing a boom in running races

(Dan Tri) - Not only is it the most anticipated race of the year, Standard Chartered Marathon Heritage Hanoi 2025 also promises to bring a new breeze, an international-class playground for the running movement in Vietnam.

Cultural imprints on every running route

In recent years, as the community sports movement has grown rapidly, Vietnam has witnessed the blossoming of hundreds of large and small running races. However, amidst the "forest" of marathon events, the Standard Chartered Marathon Heritage Hanoi has emerged as a professional, international-class running race, bearing its own mark of culture and sportsmanship.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tri (General Director of DHA Vietnam - the owner and direct organizer of the Heritage Race System) - said that the special highlight of this year's season is the completely new starting and finishing points, which have never been chosen by any major race in Hanoi .

The finish line is clear and completely flat (Photo: Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon).

"For the first time, athletes will experience a beautiful finish line, more than 10km long, completely flat and running along the windy West Lake, before heading straight to the finish line at Quan Ngua Sports Palace," Mr. Tri shared.

He said that this is not only an ideal route for athletes to accelerate and break away, but also a journey imbued with the sacred atmosphere of "calming the soul of the mountains and rivers" of Thang Long - Dong Do - Hanoi, where runners can admire dozens of cultural and historical heritages along the way.

"Choosing the starting and finishing points at Quan Ngua Sports Palace demonstrates the vision of expanding the scale, aiming towards the model of the globally famous Standard Chartered Marathon," he emphasized.

Standard Chartered Hanoi Heritage Marathon is a race that bears the cultural and historical imprint of the capital, with 4 distances: 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km. The entire running route is carefully researched by a team of specialists to ensure safety and security, while still maintaining the challenge and appeal typical of heritage routes.

In particular, the running track dedicated to children is also designed to be safe, giving young athletes the opportunity to experience a professional competition atmosphere and explore their own abilities in a beneficial sports playground for the whole family.

Historical marks on each running route (Photo: Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon).

According to the standards of the world's leading running races, all 4 distances of the Standard Chartered Hanoi Heritage Marathon are standardized by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Running (AIMS). With this certification, participants can use their race results to register for prestigious marathons around the world such as the Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon or New York City Marathon...

Security and medical work are given top priority. Security forces and traffic police are deployed along the route to ensure smooth traffic. Water stations and aid stations are strategically placed to help athletes maintain their physical strength.

In particular, Bach Mai Hospital continues to be the official medical partner of the tournament, with a team of doctors and ambulances on standby at key locations to promptly support in all situations.

The human value of sideline activities

With the message "Breakthrough - Reach Far", the Standard Chartered Marathon Heritage Hanoi does not only stop at sporting values, but also aims to spread profound social meaning through a series of community activities.

Ms. Trinh Nhu Quynh - Director of External Affairs, Marketing and Branding of Standard Chartered Bank Vietnam - said that diversity and inclusion are core values ​​that Standard Chartered always promotes in all activities.

According to her, the bank has coordinated with the organizing committee to create many meaningful activities before the opening day of the tournament, notably the program "Online Fun Fit Fest", taking place from October 1 to November 4, to spread the spirit of sports training and call for community participation.

"Each kilometer of training of participants in the program is converted into money by the organizers to support the Will to Live fund, supporting people with disabilities to be trained, start a business and take control of their lives," said Ms. Quynh.

In addition, another social and sustainable development initiative implemented since the first year of the tournament is the program "Give old shoes - Receive love", which has brought many positive results. Nearly 400 pairs of shoes were given to students in difficult circumstances in the provinces of Ha Giang (old) and Quang Tri.

According to Ms. Quynh, this activity not only spreads the spirit of sharing in the community but also encourages reuse and waste reduction, contributing to promoting sustainable development goals in Vietnam.

This year, the organizers continue to implement The Leaders Run - a race exclusively for business leaders. All revenue is used for meaningful community activities, to spread the spirit of humane sports, connect society and bring sustainable value to disadvantaged areas.

One of the humane highlights of the season is the "Light Up the Run" activity, where visually impaired people can confidently conquer each kilometer with the companionship of a leading runner.

In addition, the "Heritage Sound" Choir Festival will take place for the first time this season. This is a cultural and artistic activity that aims to connect music and sports, honoring the values ​​of intangible, modern and traditional cultural heritage.

The stage of "Heritage Sound" is where businesses and educational organizations at home and abroad interact through songs, harmonizing in the spirit of solidarity, with pride in the heritage of the country and people of Vietnam.

This initiative affirms that the Hanoi Heritage Run is not only a purely sporting event, but also a cultural and social bridge, where the spirit of sustainability and community responsibility are clearly demonstrated.

Diverse and valuable prizes

With a total prize value of more than 1 billion VND, this year's race attracted the participation of many organizations, businesses, schools and the running community at home and abroad. Notably, the 2025 season recorded nearly 2,000 international athletes from nearly 60 countries, an increase of nearly 50% compared to last year.

A large number of international athletes participated in the 2024 season of the Standard Chartered Hanoi Heritage Marathon (Photo: Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon).

"They are not only participants, but also "sports ambassadors", contributing to promoting Vietnam's image to the world," said Professor Nguyen Tri.

Not only creating a strong media impression, the race also brings direct economic value to the city. It is estimated that during the three days of the event, the amount of spending by international athletes on accommodation, food, transportation and shopping services can bring more than 30 billion VND in tourism revenue to Hanoi.

"The Standard Chartered Marathon Heritage Hanoi is not simply a race, but a symbol of the sporting spirit, cultural pride and aspiration to reach international standards of the capital," Mr. Tri affirmed.

The Pacer team is well trained by international experts of Xtep (Photo: Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon).

According to Ms. Kim Huyen, Xtep brand representative, the 2025 season of Standard Chartered Marathon Heritage Hanoi will mark a breakthrough in organization, when for the first time implementing the selection and training of professional pacers.

This is a completely new point compared to previous seasons, demonstrating the efforts to improve the quality and professionalism of the Pacer team - those who play an important role in leading the athletes to achieve their personal goals.

"With experience accompanying many prestigious marathon tournaments, the sports fashion brand Xtep - in the role of exclusive costume sponsor and professional supporter of the tournament, will coordinate with DHA Vietnam to directly organize the selection and training of Pacer teams for the two distances of half marathon and marathon.

At the same time, Xtep also plans to recruit international athletes from countries with strong marathon movements to come to Vietnam to participate and spread the spirit of professional sports," said Ms. Huyen.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Xtep had collaborated with DHA Vietnam many times to bring international-class coaches to Vietnam to exchange, share experiences and organize special training sessions for athletes as well as the Pacer team of the Heritage Race System. These coaches are all very experienced experts with many years of experience in training many international races with tens of thousands of people.

"We are very happy to continue these meaningful activities from the 2025 season," Ms. Kim Huyen shared.

The Standard Chartered Marathon Heritage Hanoi is sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank, a global bank with over 120 years of presence in Vietnam. This year’s edition will take place from November 7 to November 9, with the official race day on Sunday (November 9).

This is the 10th race in the global Standard Chartered Marathon system.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/suc-hut-cua-giai-di-san-ha-noi-khi-viet-nam-dang-no-ro-cac-giai-chay-20251013083642686.htm