On the afternoon of August 2nd, the announcement ceremony of the "Ha Long Heritage International Marathon" season took place in Bai Chay.
In this year's season, the tournament once again affirmed its pioneering and superior position as the only race in Vietnam to be awarded the World Athletics Label Road Race by the World Athletics Federation.
Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tri - General Director of DHA Vietnam Company, the owner and organizer of the race - shared: "Continuing to be certified with the World Athletics Label is proof of DHA Vietnam's commitment to pursuing professionalism and class; and at the same time affirms the organizational quality and international standards of the race, recognized by the world's leading athletics management agency. The World Label is also a strong affirmation of Vietnam's position on the global marathon map.
To maintain the World Label standards, the Organizing Committee has comprehensively upgraded operating standards, from the multi-layered medical - rescue system, racetrack safety, doping tests to the care of the athlete's experience.
In this year's 11th season, the tournament is expected to attract a record number of 18,000 athletes, competing in 4 standard distances: 42.195 km; 21.0975 km; 10 km and 5 km.
According to the Organizing Committee, to date, about 4,000 foreign athletes have registered to participate, an increase of about 20% compared to the number of foreign athletes participating in last year's tournament. It is expected that there will be about 5,000-6,000 foreign athletes registered for the 2026 tournament.
The race has a starting point and finishing point at Quang Ninh Provincial Planning, Fair and Exhibition Palace (Tran Quoc Nghien street).
The race track is designed and optimized by closing both directions, bringing the highest safety to athletes, helping them feel secure to break through, optimize achievements while still enjoying the majestic scenery on the track.
If the World Label is an affirmation of the professionalism and standard đẳng cấp of the race, then the unique beauty of the track inside the World Natural Heritage Ha Long Bay, once honored by Runner's World UK in the Top 50 most beautiful tracks on the planet, is an incomparable competitive advantage of the Ha Long Heritage International Marathon.
Running and finishing in the sunrise over Ha Long Bay - a world natural wonder - has been recognized by many domestic and international athletes as a "particularly memorable" experience.
At the 2026 season announcement ceremony, the Organizing Committee also officially introduced the Green Dragon Cup - a playground launched for the first time specifically for the business community to connect, exchange and spread the spirit of sports.
With tens of thousands of domestic and international athletes and tourists gathering in Ha Long, the Ha Long Heritage International Marathon has become a powerful factor promoting sports tourism, directly contributing to service revenue, accommodation, cuisine and spreading the beautiful image of the country and people of Vietnam to the world.
