MetaSports Marathon Ha Long welcomed the champions in the pouring rain
On the morning of September 10, MetaSports Marathon Amazing Ha Long 2023 welcomed the champions in heavy rain lasting from 5am. The first person to break the finish line tape was David Kipkoech Birir (Kenya). He won the men's 21km event after 1 hour and 10 minutes. Far behind Vietnamese opponent - Ly Nhan Tin by more than 8 minutes. During his first time competing in Vietnam, David was surprised by the enthusiasm of the Vietnamese runner. He was cheered by them throughout the journey.
"The track has beautiful scenery. It's raining heavily and there are a few steep sections, but that's not a big obstacle for me. After VM Ha Long, I will participate in another race in Malaysia, continuing my journey to conquer the mountains." racing tracks in the world," David said.
In the women's event, half marathon, "walking queen" - SEA Games champion Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc had her first time standing on the top podium after three consecutive participations in the MetaSports Marathon system. Previously in Quy Nhon, she won an age group prize and finished second overall at VM Nha Trang.
"Running in the rain is my hobby. It can be said that I am lucky to be able to compete in this weather and come first. Because my opponent Khuat Phuong Anh came right behind me and is also very strong," Phuc shared after the line. destination.
The 21km distance started at 4am, the two champions of this content completed the first half of the distance in cool, dry weather. They only caught the rain after crossing Bai Chay bridge.
Meanwhile, in two distances, four athletes finished first in two distances, 5 and 10km, conquering the race in the pouring rain right from the start. This has some impact on the speed and tactics of the top racing group. Hoang Viet Vy Ly took 33 minutes and 46 seconds to complete 10km. Became the first runner-up in the men's category.
Nguyen Thi Thanh is the female 10 km runner-up. She proved to be superior to the majority of other female runners, only competing with Luong Thi Khan until the last meters. Thanh finished in 40 minutes and 22 seconds, 1 second faster than the runner-up.
A similar situation also took place in the men's 5km first place race. Bui Van Truong and Ngo Luong Quang competed against each other until they reached the finish line. As a result, Truong was the one to touch the finish line tape first. He completed the race in more than 17 minutes.
The 5km women's event witnessed a solo performance by Deo Thi My. She finished first after 20 minutes and had no competitors chasing her.
Besides Nguyen Thi Thanh Phuc, the three distance champions of 21, 10 and 5km are all completely new names, never crowned in the MetaSports Marathon system.
At the longest distance, Pham Tien San came back, defeated his African opponent, and won the full marathon. Leo Thi Tinh is the female athlete who won this harsh event.
MetaSports Marathon Ha Long 2023 closes the track at 9:30 a.m. on September 10 and ends with the award ceremony, which takes place an hour later. 100 final prizes, for all ages, totaling more than one billion VND were awarded to the athletes.
This tournament marks a change in the reward structure. The second season of VM Ha Long is not divided according to the professional - movement system but combined into a final prize for the 5 full marathon athletes with the highest achievements. At the same time, increase the cash prize compared to the previous prize. This is to create fair competition between all athletes.
