VP Bank International Marathon

Location: Hanoi
Country: Vietnam
Website: https://vpbankmarathon.com/en
2025 Marathon Date: 26/10/2025
2026 Marathon Date: TBC
Winning Time 2025: 02:37:44
% Sub-3s: <1%
# Sub-3s: 10–49
Total Runners: 1k–3k

The VP Bank International Marathon in Hanoi delivers a distinctly Southeast Asian racing experience: early morning humidity, big-city atmosphere, and a course that rewards patience more than pacing bravado. It’s a race shaped by climate and rhythm — not a pure speed track, but a marathon where discipline, hydration strategy and emotional control matter more than pure speed.

The route takes runners through central Hanoi, mixing broad avenues, lakeside stretches and glimpses of the city's historic and administrative districts. Surfaces are generally smooth, and the course is built to flow, but heat and humidity influence effort from the first steps. Hanoi’s marathon begins before sunrise for a reason. The opening kilometres can feel deceptively smooth in the cooler dark; the best sub-3 athletes hold back, keeping stride compact and cadence steady while letting the day wake slowly around them.

As dawn deepens, the humidity asserts itself. Runners who overreached early feel it — shoulders tighten, breathing thickens, and pace drifts. The smart approach here is metabolic economy: gel timing by clock, not feel; early fluid intake; controlled heart rate. There are no punishing climbs, no technical traps — the challenge is atmospheric. Aid stations are well organised, and volunteers bring warmth and efficiency typical of major Asian city races.

Crowd support is intermittent but spirited — pockets of cheering locals, curious early risers, volunteers shouting encouragement in English and Vietnamese. In between, there are long stretches where city soundscapes take over: motorbikes in the distance, footstrike on still-damp roads, morning life beginning as the marathon unfolds.

A sub-3 in Hanoi is not achieved through force. It’s earned through restraint, hydration discipline and heat management. Those who run by ego struggle; those who run by physiology succeed. The finish brings a rising pulse of energy, with more spectators and the satisfaction of having navigated one of the region’s more climate-sensitive marathon challenges.

For athletes chasing sure-thing personal best conditions, Hanoi isn’t the obvious pick. But for runners who value testing themselves in real-world conditions — where smart pacing, mental poise and climate awareness define success — it offers a meaningful, rewarding marathon experience in a city rich with texture and identity.