This year, the race continues to organize 4 events including 5km, 10km, half marathon – 21km, marathon – 42km for amateur and professional men and women.
The marathon – 42km men's and marathon – 42km women's events of the tournament are included in the medal standings of the X-2026 National Sports Games. Therefore, units focus on sending the best forces to participate in this event.
On March 12, the Organizing Committee announced that for professional competitions, the men's marathon – 42km event has 15 registered athletes, while the women's marathon – 42km event will have 9 athletes.
National athletes Hoang Nguyen Thanh (Dong Nai) and Le Thi Tuyet (Dak Lak) are on the competition list for this distance. They won gold medals in the men's marathon – 42km and women's marathon – 42km at the 9th National Sports Games 2022.
4 years ago, athletics of the National Sports Festival took place in Hanoi.
Hoang Nguyen Thanh is currently the No. 1 athlete in the men's marathon event in Vietnam. Last year, the athlete won a gold medal at the National Marathon Championship 2025 of Tien Phong Newspaper. The women's champion at this tournament is Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa (Dong Nai).
Hoang Nguyen Thanh's latest result is 2 hours 20 minutes 22 seconds at the Tokyo Marathon 2026 (competition on March 1st). Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa's result at the Tokyo Marathon 2026 is 2 hours 45 minutes 37 seconds.
The Vietnam Athletics Federation has confirmed that the results of the marathon – 42km men's and women's events at the 2026 National Marathon Championship, Tien Phong newspaper will be counted as national records if they surpass the record.
