VnExpress Marathon comes to Hai Phong

Hai Phong has a lot of well preserved architectural works built from the French colonial period. The city has about 600 streets in seven downtown districts, which are favorable to create an impressive running route.

Hai Phong City Opera House. Photo by Giang Chinh

Hai Phong is easily reached via Hanoi – Hai Phong highway, or Cat Bi Airport which connects directly with Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Can Tho, Quy Nhon, Dong Hoi and some cities in the Central Highlands such as Pleiku and Buon Ma Thuot.

This is one of the few localities in Vietnam connected by five modes of transportation: sea, river, road, rail, and air.

Runners can explore Hai Phong’s famous tourist destinations such as Do Son, Hon Dau, Cat Ba. Cat Ba archipelago is home to a national special relic area, a world biosphere reserve, a national park, and a marine protected area.

Lan Ha Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in the world, voted by the World’s Most Beautiful Bays Club (MBBW) on January 26, 2020.

The famous finger baguettes (banh mi que) of Hai Phong. Photo by Daisy

Hai Phong also has the most famous culinary culture in Vietnam, with a variety of iconic foods such as banh da cua (crab noodles), banh mi que (finger baguettes), and snail dishes. Since the Hai Phong Department of Tourism released the “Hai Phong – Culinary Circle” food map, the city’s food tour has become popular among young people.

Hai Phong’s runners in VM Hanoi Midnight 2020. Photo by VM

VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong 2023 will have four distances: 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km. The tournament is expected to draw around 8,000 participants from across the country. With experience from previous VnExpress Marathons in terms of runners’ care and security, the organizers aim to make this the biggest running festival ever held in the city of Delonix regia flowers.

Registration is expected to open in the near future. Runners can follow all the detailed information here.