Tien Phong Marathon 2025: What challenges does champion Hoang Nguyen Thanh face?

The 66th Tien Phong Newspaper Marathon and Long Distance National Championship - 2025 (Tien Phong Marathon 2025) takes place from March 28 to 30 in Dong Ha city, Quang Tri province. This year's tournament is not only a top-notch sports playground but also plays an important role in selecting athletes for the national athletics team. In particular, athletes participating in the marathon distance (42.195 km) have the opportunity to compete for two spots to represent Vietnam at the Games held in Thailand at the end of the year. This makes this year's championship race more competitive than ever.

Hoang Nguyen Thanh – Absolute Champion

When it comes to Vietnam marathon, the name Hoang Nguyen Thanh (Binh Phuoc) is almost a symbol. This athlete born in 2005 has conquered all the most prestigious titles in the country's athletics, deserving the title of "king" of the 42.195km race.

At the Tien Phong Newspaper National Marathon and Long Distance Championship, Hoang Nguyen Thanh showed absolute dominance when he won 5 consecutive championships since 2020. This not only affirms his talent but also proves his perseverance and extraordinary strength on the most demanding track in athletics.

Not only reaching the domestic level, Hoang Nguyen Thanh also made his mark on the regional and continental arenas. He is the first Vietnamese athlete to win a gold medal in the SEA Games marathon (2022), and at the same time broke the national record with a time of 2 hours 18 minutes 43 seconds at the 2024 Asian Marathon Championship. Along with that, Thanh continuously conquered the podium of glory at a series of major tournaments across the country.

With stable achievements, experience and strong character, not only with Tien Phong Marathon, but also in any tournament he participates in, Hoang Nguyen Thanh is always the number 1 candidate for the championship.

Nguyen Van Lai – The monument challenging the throne

Nguyen Van Lai (Army), born in 1986, is a veteran Vietnamese athlete who has dominated the 5,000m and 10,000m distances for many years. Since 2023, after leaving the national team, he has switched to competing in the marathon and achieved impressive results.

In his first marathon participation at Tien Phong Marathon 2023, Nguyen Van Lai achieved a time of 2 hours 37 minutes 11 seconds, winning silver medal. Since then, he has continuously improved his personal record. At VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2024, he finished first with a time of 2 hours 24 minutes 40 seconds, breaking his personal record and surpassing his strong opponent from Kenya, Edwin Kiptoo.

At the end of 2024, at the final stage of Viettel Marathon in Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Nguyen Van Lai continued to excel and finish first with a time of 2 hours 20 minutes 54 seconds. This achievement helped him become the second best male marathon athlete in Vietnam's history, only after the national record of Hoang Nguyen Thanh (2 hours 18 minutes 42 seconds).

These results confirm Nguyen Van Lai's relentless efforts and persistent fighting spirit in the marathon distance, even though he has turned 39 years old. Coming to Tien Phong Marathon 2025, Nguyen Van Lai will certainly be the biggest challenge for the reigning champion Hoang Nguyen Thanh.

Pham Ngoc Phan – The factor ready to surprise

Pham Ngoc Phan (Binh Thuan), born in 1995, started running in 8th grade and officially received professional training at the age of 20 when he joined the provincial track and field team. At that time, he was studying at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports. This runner's forte is the 5km, 10km and 21km distances. In the past two years, Ngoc Phan started participating in full marathons and won a bronze medal in this distance at Tien Phong Marathon last year with a time of 2 hours 28 minutes 8 seconds.

Pham Ngoc Phan lives in Binh Thuan, where the sun, wind and slopes help Phan practice very well for the harsh distances of athletics. He has some advantage because the climate in Quang Tri is quite similar to Binh Thuan. Ngoc Phan's best personal achievement is 2 hours 27 minutes 30 at the 2022 National Sports Festival. Currently, Ngoc Phan's form is very good and he is certainly aiming for a place in the 2025 SEA Games.

Mai Qui Phong – A formidable young talent

Mai Qui Phong (Quang Binh), born in 2003, started running professionally in 2018 after winning a medal at the Phu Dong Sports Festival in Quang Binh province. In 2022, this runner achieved his personal best in the marathon distance with a time of 2 hours 30 minutes 22 seconds at the National Sports Festival. In 2023, he won a bronze medal in the marathon at Tien Phong Marathon Lai Chau with a time of 2 hours 37 minutes 29 seconds when he was only 19 years old.

Mai Qui Phong has just returned to training after more than a year of knee surgery due to injury. However, this young man won consecutive bronze medals in the men's 10,000m and men's 5,000m at the National Athletics Championship in Dong Nai in 2024. In 2024, Qui Phong participated in a number of amateur races to regain his feeling in the marathon distance and achieved impressive results. The athlete from Quang Binh finished second in the Quang Nam Marathon (2 hours 45 minutes 20 seconds), and fifth in the Techcombank Hanoi Marathon (2 hours 39 minutes 9 seconds). Mai Quy Phong's return is worth waiting for in this year's championship race.

Besides Nguyen Van Lai, Pham Ngoc Phan or Mai Quy Phong, some other faces also have the opportunity to compete on the marathon track with Hoang Nguyen Thanh such as two athletes from Binh Duong, Le Van Tuan and Hua Thuan Long or Trieu Tien Luyen from Binh Thuan.

In particular, this year’s tournament welcomes the participation of many international athletes, notably Edwin Kiptoo (Kenya) - who has “made waves” in Vietnam’s amateur tournaments. Athletes from Kenya are famous for their outstanding endurance, speed and physical strength, which will make the marathon in Dong Ha city even more exciting.

Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tien-phong-marathon-2025-nha-vo-dich-hoang-nguyen-thanh-doi-dien-thu-thach-nao-post1727686.tpo