International runner enjoys MetaSports Marathon Hue
Heney searched for marathons in Asia many months ago, then chose to register for the MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue on April 16. Partly because the tournament fits the schedule best, and partly because he has never been to Vietnam.
"I have run 19 marathons in 10 different countries, including those in Boston, Dubai or Hong Kong. Compared to previous tournaments, MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue has high humidity and quite hot weather. But this is still the case. It's one of the best races I've ever attended, with a nice track and lots of water stations," said the runner born in 1968.
Heney arrived in Hue on April 14 and did not have much time to prepare for the race. However, the Canadian runner still completed the 42km distance after 3 hours 44 minutes 4 seconds - parameters far beyond expectations. "I will definitely return to Vietnam at an appropriate time, and hope to continue running in other MetaSports Marathon events," he said.
Heney - principal of an international school in Hong Kong - belongs to a group of more than 300 foreign runners out of a total of 10,500 athletes competing at the MetaSports Marathon Imperial Hue 2023. Among these are long-time runners and come to accumulate more experience. Some people live in Vietnam and have attended many tournaments, even living in a few running clubs in the country.
Anil Dhiman, an Indian runner working in Ho Chi Minh City, shared: "This is my sixth run in Vietnam and the second in the MetaSports Marathon system after Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2023. a good track with lots of watering stations. Rain makes temperatures cold and makes them suitable for long distances. But high humidity is a challenge for runners. Therefore, compare results with the most recent race. , I get a little slower".
The heavy rain on the morning of April 16 left unforgettable memories with many runners in attendance. Some people think that the weather is not favorable to achieve high results, but for Suzanne Rijlaarsdam, the rain is a great thing, besides the excited and friendly atmosphere of the athletes and volunteers.
"I started the 10km race alone, but quickly made friends with fellow runners on the track and finished together," the 53-year-old female runner added. Suzanne is a member of the Rijinmond running club in the Netherlands, sharing a passion for travel and running. She and 25 other members of the club flew to Ho Chi Minh City last weekend, then went to the ancient capital to attend the tournament. The group will continue to Hanoi in the journey to discover Vietnam.
In a corner of the finisher shirt distribution area, a group of Swedish female runners laughed and shared the experience of the race that had just ended. Malin Niklasson and Lori Fairbairn said they traveled with a group of five people to Hue from Hanoi a few days ago to attend the tournament.
Lori has run more than 20 races in Vietnam, including eight in the MetaSports Marathon. She was surprised when the weather here was much cooler than she imagined before coming to Hue. Malin is also excited about the rain. She said: "The race was a lot of fun. I turned on the lights at night because I thought I could track others. The rain affected the race, but running in such weather was cool and cool." .
