Hanoi Marathon

The Hanoi Marathon (also known as the VPBank Hanoi Marathon, formerly known as Hanoi International Heritage Marathon) is a marathon event hosted annually in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Beginning in 2018, the marathon has attracted professional and recreational runners, both foreign and Vietnamese, thanks to its unique course that runs through the Old Quarter, Hanoi. 
The marathon's loop course connects various city landmarks, beginning at the Ba Kieu Temple and ending at the Lý Thái Tổ Park at the central lake of Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
The course is certified by the International Association of Athletics Federations(IAAF) and receives Grade A measurers of the [https://aims-worldrunning.org/aims.html Association of International Marathons and Distance Races(AIMS). The marathon is on the event calendar of the Vietnam Athletics Federation (VAF) and an official member of AIMS. 
In 2019 the race was renamed the VPBank Hanoi Marathon after VPBank, a Vietnamese private bank, became the main sponsor of the event. 
In 2020, despite COVID-19 pandemic, the marathon organizers went ahead to host the race on October 18 with several modifications in order to ensure runners' safety. The 42-km distance had its start time at 12:00 am, making the marathon the first mid-night race in Vietnam. 
Making its debut on October 21st, 2018, the Hanoi International Heritage Marathon attracted more than 2,600 runners. 
In 2019, apart from being renamed as the VPBank Hanoi Marathon 2019, the race also received certificates from International Association of Athletics Federations for its running course along with the AIMS membership. 
In 2020, the marathon organizers had to change the race's schedule to make sure runners were safe to attend the competition amid the pandemic. The start time for the full marathon was set at 12:00 am, and that for the 21-km distance was also moved to 3:00 am, or two hours earlier than in 2018. While many foreign runners could not come to Vietnam to join the marathon, the race still attracted nearly 6,000 athletes to compete directly in Hanoi, while thousands more from elsewhere joined the online marathon. 
In addition, since Vietnam took turn to chair ASEAN activities in 2020, the Hanoi's marathon was selected as the official sports event of the year and launched as the VPBank Hanoi Marathon ASEAN 2020. 
The marathon's Organizing Committee includes DHA Vietnam, a Hanoi-based professional event-hosting company, and the Hanoi People’s Committee, the municipal government. 
=== Qualifications ===
# Full and Half Marathon: Open to runners aged 16 years or older.
# The 10-km marathon: Open to runners aged 14 years or older.
# The 5-km Fun Run: No age limits.
Discretion: In case a runner does not meet the age requirements for any category, a legal guardian must be present to sign an authorization form and be held responsible for the safety and well being of the runner. A runner will participate in the marathon at his own risk. By taking the Bib, the runner accepts the Terms and Conditions of Participation and declares that he has had a medical check carried out by a medical professional at least 3 months before the race.
=== Race Day ===
Annually, the marathon is held on the Sunday of the third week of October. Since it's Hanoi's autumn at the time, the race day would have fairly cool and dry weather. 
=== Starting Times ===
Starting times for the VPBank Hanoi Marathon vary among distances. The followings are those set at the October 2020 race:
* The 42-km Full Marathon allows check-ins at 11:30 pm and starts at 12:00 am. Its cut-off time is at 6:30 am.
* The 21-km Half Marathon allows check-ins at 2:30 am and starts at 3:00 am. Its cut-off time is at 2:30 am.
* The 10-km Run allows check-ins at 4:00 am and starts at 4:30 am.
* The 5-km Fun Run allows check-ins at 7:30 am and starts at 8:00 am.
For more details, refer to the marathon's Terms and Conditions.
=== Course ===
The Hanoi's marathon loop course has the Start line at the Ba Kieu Temple, while the Finish line for all its four distances is set in front of the King Ly Thai To Park by the Hoàn Kiếm Lake. 
=== Heritage Race ===
The Hanoi's marathon route runs past many of the city's landmarks such as Old Quarter, Hanoi, the Temple of Literature, Hanoi, West Lake (Hanoi), Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi's Flag Tower of Hanoi and Long Biên Bridge. 
=== Four Race Distances ===
Runners can compete in four distances: Full Marathon (42.195 km), Half Marathon (21 km), the 10-km Run, and the 5-km Fun Run. 
DHA Vietnam Ltd., established in 2012, is a Hanoi-based Limited liability company which specializes in technology transfer, advertising, and event management. Since its first year, the company has been responsible for many successful sports events and professional conferences based in Vietnam, like Halong International Heritage Marathon, Happy Colour Run, Thang Long International Conference on Cardiology 2018, and FIG Working Week 2019. The company has also partnered with many international organizations like the World Bank and UNESCO. 
Category:Events in Vietnam
Category:Marathons
Category:2018 marathons