The Course: Out and Back Through the Heritage Area
All four races start and finish at the Tam Quan gate of the Hoa Lu ancient capital [1]. The marathon is built from out-and-back legs. It crosses Cau Hoi bridge and runs along Trang An road to the junction with national road 491, where marathoners turn twice, comes back over Ghenh Thap bridge to a turn at the Trang An boat wharf, then follows the Trang An dual carriageway, the Truong Yen dike and Dam Thi lake to a turn on road 38B, before retracing its route to the finish [2]. On the way it passes Duyen Ninh pagoda and the Trang An relic-site gate, and turns beside Bai Dinh pagoda at about 28 km [2].
The half marathon uses the western part of the same network, round Dam Thi lake to a turn near Bai Dinh pagoda; the 10 km turns near Dam Thi lake, and the organiser says the 5 km runs along the Sao Khe river [2]. Every map marks its aid stations as serving both directions, so expect long stretches with runners coming the other way [2].
The organiser bills the course as one of the flattest around and ideal for a personal best [3]. Ninh Binh's culture department called it flat and safe, and all four distances were measured and certified by the Vietnam Athletics Federation [4][5].
The Weather: Rain, Then Saturated Air
No airport near Ninh Binh reports hourly weather. The nearest, Hanoi's Noi Bai, is roughly 110 km north of the start, so its readings describe the regional air rather than the course itself. There it rained from 3am to 4am on race morning, and at the 4.30am marathon start it was 24°C with a dew point of 24°C, 100% humidity, mist and a 3-knot wind [6]. It stayed at 24°C and 100% until 6.30am, then warmed slowly: 25°C and 94% at 8am, 26°C and 89% at 9am, and 28°C and 84% at 11am, when the marathon closed [6].
Viet Nam News reported that the winners ran through a downpour [7]. The organiser promises cool late-autumn weather [3]; in 2025 the air was mild but fully saturated. With the dew point equal to the air temperature, sweat does not evaporate, so the flat course will feel harder than the temperature suggests. Start at your humid-weather pace and pack for rain at the start.
Aid Stations, Checkpoints and Pacers
The marathon map marks ten aid stations, CP1 to CP10, plus one at the start and finish. Each is labelled as a water-and-fruit station serving both directions, each has a medic, several have toilets, and ambulances are posted along the route [2]. Race nutrition was part of the 2025 race kit [8].
The marathon limit was 6 hours 30 minutes from the 4.30am start, with the course closing at 11am. Marathoners had to reach km 22 by 8.00am, km 31 by 9.15am and km 37 by 10.15am [1]. Those checkpoints work out at 9:12 to 9:33 per km from the gun, close to the 9:15 per km that the overall limit needs, so a runner on pace for 6 hours 30 is not caught out early. The half marathon had 3 hours 30, with a checkpoint at km 16 at 8.30am and the course closing at 9.15am; the 10 km had 2 hours 30 and the 5 km 1 hour 30 [1].
Start pens were seeded by expected finish time: three in the marathon, four in the half [1]. Pacers ran the marathon at 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30 and 5:00, and the half at every 15 minutes from 1:30 to 2:30 [1]. Rankings and prizes used chip time [9].
How Fast the Field Is
Ho Quang Binh won the marathon in 2:38:38, from Kenya's Hillary Kipchumba Kimutai in 2:39:21 and Nguyen Mai Trung in 2:40:54 [10][7]. That was 30 seconds outside the men's course record of 2:38:08 listed in the athlete booklet, and breaking a course record paid a 5,000,000 VND bonus [1].
The women's race was closer: Pham Thi My Duyen won in 3:13:37, one second ahead of Hoang Huong Thuy, with Nguyen Thi Hai Yen third in 3:18:36 [10][7]. The women's course record is 2:57:14 [1]. Nguyen Thi Oanh, a past winner, missed the 2025 race to prepare for the SEA Games [5]. The half marathon went to Le Van Thao in 1:16:33 and Bui Thi Binh in 1:33:45 [7].
Prize money ran to 15,000,000 VND for the marathon winners, 8,000,000 for second and 6,000,000 for third, and 10,000,000 VND for the half-marathon winners [1]. From 2025 the marathon also paid age-group prizes in five bands, from under 30 to over 60, with 2,000,000 VND for each band winner [8].
Race Weekend Logistics
The expo and race-kit collection were at the Hoa Lu ancient capital on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 November, 9am to 7pm, with the opening ceremony at 4.30pm on the Saturday; bibs were not handed out on race day [11]. On race morning the bag drop opened at 3.30am and closed at 11.30am, one bag per runner, and two paid car parks entered from road 38B were open from 3.30am to 11.30am [1].
The press put the weekend's visitors, runners and families included, at about 30,000 [10], so book a room early. Entry in 2025 cost 569,000 VND (5 km) to 849,000 VND (marathon) at the early price, 649,000 to 1,149,000 VND at the standard price, and 799,000 to 1,399,000 VND late [12]. Fees are not refunded for any reason [9]. The kit included a bib, bag, event shirt, race nutrition, a finisher medal and a results certificate, with a finisher tee for marathoners only [8].
Should You Enter the 2026 Race?
Yes, if you want a flat, certified marathon with a limit that suits walk-run finishers, pacers down to five hours, and a route through the Trang An heritage area and past its pagodas rather than city streets. The half marathon and 10 km use the same heritage roads with less time on your feet.
Think twice if you need cool, dry air for a personal best, if long out-and-back legs wear on you, or if you cannot get to Ninh Binh on the Friday or Saturday to collect your bib.
The 2026 race is on Sunday 15 November [13]. The standard 2026 fees on iRace run from 659,000 VND for the 5 km to 1,159,000 VND for the marathon [14]. The organiser's site still lists 2026 start times, time limits and route maps as to be updated, and the 5 km minimum age rises from 6 to 10 [13], so check the maps before you plan your pacing.
Nobody from this site ran the race. This review draws on the organiser's route maps, athlete booklet, schedule and rules, national and provincial reporting in Vietnamese and English, and airport weather records.