Held on the morning of Feb. 8 at Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park (NIC), the tournament featured the largest prize purse ever offered at a Vietnamese marathon. The men’s and women’s 42km champions each received VND100 million, along with additional gifts and in-kind rewards. The structure attracted leading domestic and international athletes eager to compete for both podium finishes and substantial payouts.
Hoang Nguyen Thanh won Read Marathon All-Star 2026 in 2 hours 19 minutes 44 seconds. Photo courtesy of Read Marathon |
Heavy rain, however, combined with the Vietnamese runners’ composure and disciplined race tactics, ultimately prevented the African contenders from securing the top spots.
Hoang Nguyen Thanh won Read Marathon All-Star 2026 in 2 hours 19 minutes 44 seconds. Photo courtesy of Read Marathon
In the men’s marathon, the early lead group included Huynh Anh Khoi, Hoang Nguyen Thanh and Trinh Minh Tam from Vietnam, Vann Pheara from Cambodia, and Wendwesen Tilahun Damte from Ethiopia.
Damte, the champion of Read Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2025, was widely regarded as the race’s favorite. But persistent rain in Hoa Lac quickly reshaped the race.
The Ethiopian suffered a hamstring injury as early as the 5km mark. After attempting to continue for several more kilometers, he was forced to withdraw at 10km, shifting the balance decisively toward the Vietnamese runners.
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Wendwesen Tilahun Damte strides under heavy rain at Read Marathon All-Star 2026 before DNF (Did not finish) the 10km mark. Photo courtesy of Read Marathon |
From the 20km mark onward, the contest narrowed to two familiar names: Thanh and Khoi. The pair ran stride for stride for several kilometers, testing each other with repeated surges.
The decisive move came at 35km, when Thanh launched a powerful kick to open a gap of around 400 meters over his younger rival. He crossed the finish line in 2:19:44, the fastest finish ever recorded by a Vietnamese runner at a domestic race.
Khoi followed just 17 seconds later, becoming Vietnam’s second-fastest marathoner.
A similar duel unfolded in the women’s race between Vietnam’s Pham Thi Hong Le and Ethiopia’s Marta Tinsae Birehan. At Read Marathon Da Nang 2024, Marta had defeated Le with a winning time of 2:54:56.
This time, however, the Ethiopian struggled to match her Vietnamese rival’s pace. The cold, rainy conditions appeared to take a toll, particularly after she had recently competed in Thailand’s hot and humid climate.
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Pham Thi Hong Le and Marta Tinsae Birehan on the 42km course at Read Marathon All-Star 2026. Photo courtesy of Read Marathon |
Le adhered strictly to her race plan. She wrote target split times for each 5km segment on her arm and repeatedly checked her watch to ensure she stayed on pace.
She finished first in 2:38:07, breaking the national women’s marathon record.
The next two positions also went to Vietnamese runners, with Doan Thi Oanh finishing in 2:47:14 and Vu Khanh Linh in 2:53:54. Marta placed fourth in 2:57:10.
The top international performance came from Kenya’s Kenedy Njogu Muhia, who won the men’s 21km race in 1:06:24. Kenedy was last season’s Read Marathon All-Star full marathon champion, posting 2:16:52.
His compatriot Edwin Kiptoo finished third in 1:11:49, behind 18-year-old Vietnamese runner Duong Minh Hung.
Hai Long
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