Thanh, Nishizawa win marathon titles

DA NANG (VNS) — Koji Nishizawa from Japan and Viet Nam’s Hoang Thi Thanh won the men’s and women’s marathon (42km) at the Da Nang International Marathon Race yesterday.

This was the second time in a row that Thanh, a member of the national athletics team of Viet Nam, won the title.

“It’s a great honour for me to clinch the title again. The cool weather helped me and all participants during the race,” Thanh said after crossing the finish line.

“The race is actually a tough test for us in preparation for major races in the future.”

In the half-marathon (21km) event, Viet Nam’s Le Van Tuan finished first in the men’s division, while Japanese Uekuma Hiromi from Japan stood on the victory podium for the women’s event.

The race, which was organised in the city for the third time, drew 4,200 runners from 37 countries and territories competing in the marathon, half marathon and Fun Walk (5km).

The ‘Run for Peace’ race, was organised by the city’s Culture, Sport and Tourism Department, the World Marathon Company and Pulse Active.

It is the first Vietnamese marathon certified by the International Amateur Athletics Association-Association of International Marathons and Distance Races, and used the automatic timing system, the Chronotrack, to clock runners’ times.

According to the orga-nising committee, athletes who finish the Da Nang International Marathon Race are eligible to participate in the Boston Marathon.

Last year’s race involved 4,000 participants, 400 of whom were professional athletes from 27 countries and territories. — VNS

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