Ethiopian runner disappointed not winning VnExpress Marathon Quy Nhon

Getahun had an impressive race on Sunday as he led the 21 km race throughout the first half. This was the first time he competed at a tournament overseas.

The Ethiopian runner started at 4 a.m., and after 25 minutes, he reached Thi Nai Bridge. He did not slow down even when going up the bridge. At this time, he was the top candidate for the half marathon title.

However, in the second half of the race, Nguyen Quoc Anh, a 21-year-old Vietnamese runner, came up to finish the half marathon first, in 1 hour and 14 minutes.

Getahun said he gradually fell behind because he was tired and did not have much running experience in Vietnam. He had arrived in Quy Nhon on Saturday evening after a long flight. He was lack of sleep and did not have time to adapt to the local weather.

Quy Nhon’s weather was cooler than previous years, but it was still much hotter than in Ethiopia, which was about 16 degrees Celsius last weekend.

Getahun said winds also caused him difficulties, especially when crossing Thi Nai Bridge.

He reached the finish line in third place after 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Abraham Getahun smiles when finishing his race at VM Sparkling Quy Nhon 2023. Photo courtesy of VM

The 35-year-old runner was amazed by the scale of 10,000 runners at the race, professional organization, and race-kit bags with many items. He stayed in Quy Nhon for two more days to explore the town before flying to Thailand to attend another tournament.

“I am quite sad because I did not achieve my dream of winning this tournament. In return, the race’s atmosphere was great. This first award was a great encouragement to me,” he said. “I have gained a lot of experience. After the race, I will return to my country to train harder to achieve better results next time.”

The VnExpress Marathon Sparkling Quy Nhon 2023 attracted about 150 foreign athletes. Kenyan female runner Shelmith Nyawira Muriuki won the women’s full marathon with a time of 2 hours 47 minutes 47 seconds.