Competing in Hanoi on January 1, 2026, the Bac Ninh-born athlete topped the elite category for professional runners, extending her dominance at the event despite failing to match her winning time from last year, when she clocked 1 hour 13 minutes 22 seconds.

Nguyen Thi Oanh celebrates victory at the Vietnam International Half Marathon.

Nguyen Thi Oanh finished well clear of the rest of the field, with runner-up Le Thi Lam of Ha Tinh trailing by 1 minute 43 seconds.

The victory marked Nguyen Thi Oanh’s third win in three appearances at the Vietnam International Half Marathon. The multiple SEA Games champion remains one of Vietnam’s most decorated track athletes.

At the recent 33rd SEA Games, she captured three gold medals in her signature events – the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres and the 3,000 metres steeplechase.

In the men’s elite 21 km race, Hoang Nguyen Thanh took first place with a time of 1 hour 7 minutes 43 seconds, short of the course record of 1 hour 6 minutes 39 seconds.

National team runner Nguyen Trung Cuong finished second in 1 hour 11 minutes 6 seconds, edging out Kenyan runner Edwin Kiptoo in the final metres of the race.

The 10 km races saw Doan Thu Hang win the women’s title in 37 minutes 15 seconds, while Tong Van Hoan claimed the men’s crown with a time of 32 minutes 59 seconds.

No major surprises were recorded in the 5 km events, where national team athletes Luong Duc Phuoc and Bui Thi Thu Ha took the men’s and women’s titles in 15 minutes 19 seconds and 17 minutes 42 seconds, respectively.

Winners in each category received prize money of 10 million VND. The total prize fund for the Vietnam International Half Marathon 2026 amounted to nearly 600 million VND.

The Vietnam International Half Marathon 2026 was jointly organised by the Vietnam Athletics Federation and the Hanoi municipal government, attracting most of Vietnam’s top long-distance runners, many of whom had recently returned from the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand.

Nguyen Thi Oanh wins two gold medals at Vietnam national athletics championship

BAC NINH – Vietnam’s “queen of athletics” Nguyen Thi Oanh from Bac Ninh province claimed two gold medals at the 2025 National Athletics Championship, which opened on August 9 at Hoa Xuan Stadium in Da Nang.

Nguyen Thi Oanh wins gold at Vietnam national athletics championships 2025

BAC NINH - The 2025 Vietnam National Athletics Championships officially opened on August 9 at Hoa Xuan Stadium in Da Nang. On the first day of competition, “athletics queen” Nguyen Thi Oanh from Bac Ninh province claimed the gold medal in the women’s 5,000m event.

Nguyen Thi Oanh becomes champion of VTV Phu Quoc marathon 2025

BAC GIANG- The VTV Phu Quoc marathon 2025 has been jointly organised by Vietnam Television, Kien Giang's Culture and Sports Department, Vietnam Athletics Federation, Lions Entertainment JSC and Vietcontent. The tournament lured 5,000 athletes competing in 4 categories including 5km,10km races, half-marathon (21.0975km) and full marathon (42.195km) with the total award of 650 million VND (25,023 USD).

Bac Giang star runner Nguyen Thi Oanh defends her throne at Tien Phong Marathon for 9 consecutive times

BAC GIANG - On March 30, the 66th National Marathon and Long Distance Championship 2025 of Tien Phong Newspaper took place in Dong Ha City (Quang Tri province) with 7,000 participating athletes. Tien Phong Marathon is a major annual tournament, gathering outstanding runners of Vietnamese athletics in medium and long distances.

"Athletics Queen" Nguyen Thi Oanh awarded "Enduring passion" award

BAC GIANG - On March 25, the Vietnam Young Talent Support Fund (under the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union) coordinated with the Center for Science, Technology and Young Talent Development, Tien Phong Newspaper and sponsors to organize the "Enduring Passion" Award Ceremony.

Hoanh Mo–Dongzhong border gate pair opens for tourists, border residents

This marks the first time this year that tourists and border residents can conduct entry and exit activities through the border gate pair of Hoanh Mo (Vietnam) – Dongzhong (China).