Vietnamese runner Hoang Nguyen Thanh has broken the national marathon record, which had been held for 21 years, after finishing his race at the Asian Marathon Championships in 2 hours 18 minutes 43 seconds on January 21.
Although only finishing in the 10th position, the Binh Phuoc-born athlete’s time shattered the previous record of 2 hours 21 minutes 51 seconds set by Nguyen Chi Dong at the SEA Games in 2003.
Thanh was the first runner to win a gold medal for Vietnam at the 2022 SEA Games, clocking in at 2 hours 25 minutes 7 seconds.
Thanh shared that “I am extremely happy to break the national record that has existed for 21 years.”
He added that breaking the national record is more meaningful than the gold medal he won at the 31st SEA Games.
On the same day, the Vietnamese female runner Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa also shattered the national record set by Hoang Thi Thanh in 2016 after clocking in at 2 hours 45 minutes 9 seconds at the Asian tournament.
