On November 3, the Viettel Marathon Luang Prabang Unitel 2024 race took place in the ancient capital of Luang Prabang (Laos) with the starting and finishing locations at the Luang Prabang National Museum area.
Accordingly, 5,000 athletes participated in 4 distances: marathon (42.195km); half marathon (21.0975km); 10km and 5km. In the cool, chilly weather in the early morning, the runners conquered the running track impressively.
Mr. Le Hung Cuong - who traveled by road from Vietnam to Laos to participate in the race - shared: "I know this is the first major race organized by Vietnamese people in the three Indochinese countries, so I registered to run in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. After a 30-hour journey by road, I was quite tired but very happy to participate in the race in Laos."
On the journey to conquer the 42.195km men's championship, runner Hung Cuong surpassed two Lao opponents.
"The guys ran really well and we were neck and neck for the first 21km. But then I found out one of my competitors had a hip injury and fell behind. From there, I ran alone to the finish line," said the first male 42.195km champion in Luang Prabang.
In the women's 42.195km event, Laotian athlete Lodkeo Inthakounmman won impressively. This national athlete who specializes in 10km and 21km runs tried her hand at the marathon distance for the first time and won immediately on home soil.
In addition, athletes in the remaining distances also had special experiences at Viettel Marathon 2024.
The Viettel Marathon series kicked off with the first leg in Luang Prabang, Laos, attracting great attention from the running community in Laos.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung - Member of the Asian Athletics Council, General Secretary of the Vietnam Athletics Federation, Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee - said: "On behalf of the Vietnam Olympic Committee, the Vietnam Athletics Federation, I would like to thank the Lao Olympic Committee, the leaders of Luang Prabang province, and Viettel Group for helping us organize the race. We want to promote the best images to international friends, as well as promote the economy at the race venues".
After the tournament in Laos, the race will return to the capital Hanoi (Vietnam) on December 1, with an expected attendance of about 10,000 people.
In the third leg, Siem Reap of Cambodia will be the host, taking place on December 22 at Angkor Wat - the country's famous world natural heritage complex.
