Marathon 

TÂY NINH — Kenyan Edwin Yebei Kiptoo and Vietnamese Hoàng Thị Ngọc Hoa continued their winning streak at the Bà Đen Mountain International Marathon 2025 on August 3 in Tây Ninh Province.

The duo dominated the men's and women's marathon events and this was their third win together in seven months.

Kiptoo was in the leading pack from the beginning along with fellow Kenyan Glady Kiptoo, Lê Văn Tuấn and Huỳnh Anh Khôi of Việt Nam. They each took turns in the lead until Edwin Kiptoo's sprint left the chasing pack behind in the last few kilometres.

He crossed the finish line in a time of 2hr 34.55min. Glady Kiptoo came second clocking 2:35.21 and Tuấn was third on 2:35.32.

On the women's side, Hoa had no challengers throughout the entire race, running solo to the finish in a time of 2:58.02.

Her nearest rival Nguyễn Thị Thu Hà tried her best but could not catch up with the national champion. She finished nearly eight minutes behind Hoa.

Lê Thị Hà ran in 3:55.55 to claim the bronze medal.

 

The winners of the men's and women's 21km categories were national marathon champion and record holder Hoàng Nguyên Thanh (1:13.04) and Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Lan (1:27.37).

Organisers also presented medals and bonuses to champions of the 10km and 5km classes as well as age group winners.

This year, more than 6,000 runners took part in 'The Legendary Run' that led them through cultural spiritual and historical landmarks and discover Bà Đen Mountain, the 'roof of the South', and its beauty.

The tournament was organised by the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Nexus Sport Events and Tây Ninh Sun JSC.

According to Huỳnh Cao Chánh, deputy director of the Tây Ninh Department of Culture and Sports, this year marathon was for the first time certified for its race standards by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

This was an important milestone affirming the international fame of the race. Athletes' achievements were recognised and ranked globally and they could apply to race in the world major marathons in Japan, Germany, the UK and the US.

The organisers believed that the races were not only a gathering place for sportsmanship, but also a journey to explore nature, culture and spirituality in Tây Ninh. It would help the province promote their sport practise movement and tourism industry. — VNS