The Course: Out and Back, Through the Old Quarter, Home Round West Lake
All three Sunday races started and finished on Van Cao street by Quan Ngua Sports Complex in Ba Dinh, a new start and finish for 2025 [1][2]. The marathon opens with an out-and-back along Lieu Giai and Nguyen Chi Thanh, over the Nguyen Chi Thanh overpass to a U-turn at Huynh Thuc Khang, then heads east on Nguyen Dinh Thi, Thanh Nien and Phan Dinh Phung into the Old Quarter: Hang Dau, Hang Giay, Dong Xuan, Hang Ngang and Hang Dao [2].
From there it runs south on Ba Trieu to Dai Co Viet, back north through the Old Quarter, then along Trang Tien and Lo Duc, over the O Dong Mac and Tran Khat Chan overpasses and through the Kim Lien tunnel, before returning north by Hung Vuong, Thanh Nien and Yen Phu [2]. Runners passed Dong Xuan Market, the State Bank building and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum [3]. The last stretch circles the West Lake streets of Quang An, Quang Ba, Vu Tuan Chieu and Lac Long Quan before Trich Sai brings runners back to Van Cao [2]; the organiser describes it as nearly 10 km and completely flat [1].
The half marathon does not go into the Old Quarter. It shares the opening out-and-back, then heads along Thanh Nien and Yen Phu to the West Lake streets, round Quang An and Quang Ba to a U-turn on Vu Tuan Chieu, and back along Lac Long Quan and Trich Sai [2]. The 10 km is two out-and-backs, to Nguyen Chi Thanh and along Thanh Nien [2]. The organiser says every distance was designed to AIMS standards, and the marathon map marks six cut-off checkpoints [2].
The Weather: Rain at 2am, Then Saturated Air
Noi Bai International Airport, about 20 km north of the start, recorded 25°C at 2am, with a dew point of 24°C, 94% humidity and a 2-knot wind [4]. Light rain began at 2.30am, there was rain and mist at 3am and 3.30am, and from 3am to 6.30am the air sat at 24°C and 100% humidity [4]. It was still 25°C and 94% at 8am, and 26°C at 8.30am [4].
Local reporting described heavy rain just before the marathon start, and rain, strong wind and cold air through the morning [5][3]; the airport, 20 km away, recorded winds of 1 to 5 knots and no temperature below 24°C over the same hours [4]. The women's half-marathon winner, Nguyen Khanh Ly, said the half was not rained on as the marathon was, so runners lost less energy [5].
Runners' views of the rain differed. An American marathoner told Dan Tri it cooled the air and washed off sweat and road dust; a British runner said the rain and the muggy air made the marathon hard, and that the roads were wet at the start [6]. Plan for wet roads in the dark and air so humid that sweat does little to cool you.
Aid Stations and Cut-offs
The organiser put a station every 2.5 to 3 km with first aid, a rest area, water and an electrolyte drink, and bananas or another energy food [7]. Bach Mai Hospital ran the medical cover, with 21 medical stations and 80 doctors and nurses along the route [8]. Pacers carry a large bunch of balloons with their target time, which is also printed on their bibs [7].
The 2025 race page gave no cut-offs [7]. The organiser's 2024 rules set six and a half hours for the marathon, three and a half for the half and two for the 10 km [9]; the 2026 rules keep the half and 10 km limits but cut the marathon to six hours [10]. In 2025 the results list 428 marathoners with gun times over six hours, the slowest in 6:48:36, and 1,003 half marathoners over three and a half hours [11], so the results point to looser limits in 2025 than the 2026 rules allow. Of 3,088 marathon entries on the results, 266 were last timed at a checkpoint on the course and 436 have no time after the start [11].
Runners who finish outside the limit get no finisher shirt or medal [12], and the finisher shirt is for marathon finishers [13]. Under the 2026 rules, anyone more than 15 minutes late to the start is not let into the start area [10].
How Fast the Field Is
The marathon was won by Duber Abdisa Teshome of Ethiopia in 2:21:57, from Huynh Anh Khoi in 2:23:48, a personal best, and Kenya's Edwin Yebei Kiptoo in 2:25:20 [5][14][11]. Lema Alemitu Ajema led an Ethiopian sweep of the women's podium in 2:40:27, ahead of Adula Askale Alemayehu and Zeritu Shawel Tadese [14][11]. The winner's prize for the marathon was worth up to VND 60 million [15].
Behind the elite field the times spread out. Tenth place in the marathon was 2:45:26 for men and 3:18:10 for women; 612 of the 2,386 finishers broke four hours, and the median finish was 4:44:48 [11]. The half was won by Duong Minh Hung in 1:11:19 and Nguyen Khanh Ly in 1:27:25, with tenth place at 1:19:06 and 1:39:58 and a median of 2:38:09 [11][16]. The 10 km went to Nguyen Hoang Thinh in 32:59 and Ly Ngoc Ha in 38:14 [16][11].
The organiser counted over 15,000 runners from a record of nearly 20,000 registrations, including 2,500 from nearly 70 countries, almost double the 2024 figure [16]. The results list 2,386 marathon finishers, 4,906 in the half and 3,468 in the 10 km [11].
Race Weekend Logistics
Race kits were collected at Quan Ngua Sports Complex on Friday 7 November for every distance and on Saturday 8 November for the marathon, half and 10 km, 9am to 5pm both days [17]. You needed your QR code and an original ID card or passport [7]. An expo ran from 7 to 9 November [16].
Bag drop opened at 1am on race day for the Sunday distances and closed at 9am; runners were asked to arrive an hour before their start, and the organiser could refuse valuables and phones [7]. Some roads around the venue were restricted, and the organiser published the approach roads still open, such as Doc Ngu behind the sports complex, Trich Sai and Thuy Khue, with Lieu Giai, Nguyen Chi Thanh and Van Cao one way towards Thuy Khue [18]. The organiser recommended public transport or ride-hailing and offered a 15% Xanh SM discount, up to VND 40,000 a trip [19].
In the Standard phase, from 1 July to 27 August 2025, entry cost VND 2,000,000 for the marathon, 1,600,000 for the half, 1,200,000 for the 10 km and 800,000 for the 5 km, with 35% off for groups of three or more and 20% off for Standard Chartered card holders [20]. The marathon sold out on 12 September 2025 [21]. Fees are not refunded, and a transfer or change of details cost VND 300,000 [22].
Should You Enter the 2026 Race?
Yes, if you want to run a marathon through the Old Quarter and past the Mausoleum, with frequent aid, a big field and a fast elite race to watch. The half and 10 km suit runners who want an out-and-back and the West Lake streets without the city centre.
Think twice if you want cool, dry air, or if a six-hour limit would be tight for you: 428 of the 2,386 marathon finishers in 2025 took longer than that [11][10]. The 2am start also means a night with little sleep.
The 2026 race runs from 6 to 8 November, with the main race day on Sunday 8 November and the event village at Thong Nhat Park [23]. The organiser promises a new route, and the start and finish, route and start times had not been published when this was written [24]. Read the route when it appears, because the 2025 course notes above may not carry over.
Nobody from this site ran the race. This review draws on the organiser's race pages, route maps and rules, the official results, airport weather records, and English and Vietnamese news reports that interviewed runners.