News Release: Halong Bay Heritage Marathon In Official Return

After a year of absence due to the pandemic, the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon 2022 will return on Nov 13, 2022 in Ha Long city of Quang Ninh province. 

This is the 7th marathon organized by the Department of Culture and Sports of Quang Ninh province in collaboration with Ha Long municipal People's Committee, the Vietnam Athletics Federation and Duc Huong Anh Co., Ltd (DHA Vietnam). The race also marks one of the city’s annual international cultural and sports events aimed at attracting tourists to Ha Long and Quang Ninh, contributing to the city's tourism development.

The marathon covers four distances: 5 km, 10 km, Half Marathon (21 km) and Full Marathon (42.195 km). Competition on the FM and HM distances will start at 05:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 13 at the Quang Ninh Palace of Planning, Fair and Exhibition on Tran Quoc Nghien street in Ha Long city.

The 10-km and 5-km distances will start later, at 06:30 a.m.

The Halong Bay Heritage Marathon is the first race in Ha Long to be listed on the international marathon map, and was voted in 2018 by the famous magazine “Runner's World UK” as one of the 50 greatest races on earth, standing among “breathtaking and downright awesome races outside the UK”, as per an emotional commentary.

For years, the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon has become one of the dream destinations of runners around the world. In 2019, the race was considered a cultural and sports event attracting the largest number of foreign tourists to Quang Ninh province, with the participation of more than 3,000 runners, including nearly 1,600 from 56 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.

“After the COVID-19 pandemic, many foreign runners aspire to join beautiful races, among which the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon is an extremely attractive destination for the regional long-distance running community,” said Assoc.Prof.Dr. Nguyen Tri, General Director of DHA Vietnam, which owns the race.

“We have strived very hard to give runners the opportunity to stride on the newly designed track. The VPBank Hanoi Marathon 2022 has just been successfully organized by DHA Vietnam with more than 10,000 registered runners, more than 1,000 runners of them from countries around the world, which is a testament to the belief and efforts of DHA Vietnam. The Halong Bay Heritage Marathon 2022 itself has also attracted a record number of registrations of nearly 1,200 foreigners.”

By now, the organization plan, professional work on the new track as well as plans to ensure safety of the race has basically been agreed upon by leaders of departments and agencies of Quang Ninh and the marathon’s Organizers. The Organizers have invited an expert from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) to come to Vietnam in September 2022 and check, measure and standardize the running track.

Runners will be able to stride on a completely new road, going past many beautiful landscapes. The road is designed to connect the cities of Ha Long and Cam Pha, and includes a unique tunnel under the mountains in Cam Pha city.

One side of the tunnel will be completely closed for the track to ensure absolute safety for runners. The coastal road is new, straight and wide so that the runners can see hundreds of rocky islands, large and small of Ha Long Bay, the world's natural wonder, and countless opportunities to check-in, capturing impressive moments.

“In recent years Vietnam’s running fans have been increasingly cared for. Many wonderful marathons have been organized, of which the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon is a traditional name, but also contains new and unexpected things so that its runners always want to return, having spent one time with the race,” Mr. Tri shared.

In order to raise runners’ experience, the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon Organizers have steadfastly chosen the time to hold the race when the weather conditions are most ideal for running as well as enjoying, checking-in and hunting for nice photos. For runners who want to pursue expertise, favorable weather conditions and flat running promise opportunities to improve personal achievements.

An even more special thing when joining the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon, runners not only come to race but also enjoy a happy weekend with loved ones, to harmonize the love of sports with the love of couples and family.

This is also an opportunity for runners to relax and enjoy the most unique marine specialties in Ha Long.

Media Contact:

DHA Vietnam:

• Ms Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh (Executive Director); Mobile: 090 343 2295
• Ms. Tran Dieu Hong (i/o of communications for the race); Mobile: 091 367 0989