Over 18,000 athletes - of which nearly 1,300 are coming in from 55 different countries - are ready to take on the Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race 2024 on Sunday, November 3rd, 2024; a 150% increase from the previous marathon and also the highest attendance record to date, highlighting the strong growth of running within the community.

The Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race track is designed in accordance with global standards for all major marathons. All four distance events (5km - 10km - 21km - 42km) are standardised and certified by the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races (AIMS). Starting from the Ho Thien Quang lake neighbourhood, runners will make their way through Hanoi’s fable Old Quarter consisting of 36 historical streets, then through several roads surrounding the scenic Ho Tay - the lake vicinity with endless check-in spots. A city full of nostalgia, charm, glory and energy is wrapped up in the Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race 2024. The running track is carefully calculated to ensure maximum security as well as attractiveness for runners as they pass through the capital’s iconic heritage sites.

Prof. Nguyen Tri, CEO of the marathon’s owner Duc Huong Anh Company (DHA Vietnam) - representing the event organisers - said: “Creating an event for over 18,000 athletes from within and from outside the country to come together is a major challenge. We have met with many authorities, spent months researching and testing to come up with the most optimal track, combining many heritage sites while still ensuring safety and the city’s smooth traffic flow outside of the marathon. With the assistance of Standard Chartered bank, DHA Vietnam was able to take in valuable experience and organisational procedures of the prestigious Standard Chartered Marathon events and apply them to Vietnam, ensuring we get the best possible outcome.”

The Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race 2024 recruited an impressive number of volunteers, the majority of whom are Standard Chartered Vietnam’s employees, while many others are university students around Hanoi.

The Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race 2024 is the first marathon in Vietnam to receive assistance from the best rated treatment standard Bach Mai Hospital, with over 1,000 medical professionals participating in the event. As the official medical care provider for the marathon, Bach Mai’s medical experts are responsible for providing quick and efficient first aid/treatment, prioritising athlete’s safety above all else.

The 10th event in the world-renowned Standard Chartered Marathon series

Ms. Trinh Nhu Quynh, Standard Chartered Vietnam’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing, shared: “We are proud to be the official sponsor of the Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race 2024, a sporting event that embraces the diversity and heritage of Hanoi. This is the 10th event in the world-famous Standard Chartered Marathon series and pivotal in a series of events commemorating the bank’s 120-year presence in Vietnam. Becoming the official sponsor for a reputable marathon is testament to our strong investment in Vietnam. We want to be a part of Vietnam for the long run and build this marathon up to be a community event, uniting all social classes together and fostering a healthy lifestyle.”

Becoming a part of the famous Standard Chartered Marathon world series is a solid foundation for the organisers to realise their dream of bringing Vietnam’s marathon on the world map. Turning Vietnam into a favourite destination for athletes worldwide is one key factor to developing Vietnam’s tourism sustainably.

Embracing sustainable values and connecting the community.

In the spirit of  “Running Together, Going Further,” the Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race 2024 is a sporting and cultural event that aims to spread its sustainable values of connecting the community. Many meaningful community-oriented activities will be held during the 2024 marathon season.

The “CEO Run” idea was first implemented exclusively for CEOs of local and foreign businesses to take part in. Any CEO taking part will pledge money to charity; the organisers will transfer all proceeds from this event to the locales and civilians affected by the recent tropical storm Yagi.

At this marathon, an innovation from Standard Chartered Vietnam’s staff was hatched and implemented on the spot. The idea was to collect used shoes and donate them to under-privileged civilians in remote regions across the country. Acting as volunteers, Standard Chartered Vietnam’s staff will collect the shoes at the volunteer booth, clean them up and send them to places in need. This innovation urges on the spirit of sharing in the community, encourages re-usage and reduces waste, helping with sustainable development in Vietnam.

People donating will receive a 200,000 VND discount voucher when buying new shoes from Xtep. Xtep is also the exclusive apparel sponsor for all distances at the Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon Heritage Race 2024. The 2024 running shirt is designed with a combination of polyester and cotton, woven into a cool and comfortable shirt, keeping the skin dry and offering the utmost comfort while running. By donning the shirt symbolising the spirit of running together and going further, athletes will be inspired with positive energy, helping them break through their targets and creating memorable moments at the 2024 marathon.

The “Foliate Vietnam’s Forests” challenge on social media is another activity worth mentioning. For every runner that takes part in the running minigame, the organisers will donate a tree. This program finished successfully with 3,000 cedars being planted at the BiDoup Nui Ba National Park (Lam Dong province). Each step taken by a runner contributed to foliate Vietnam’s forest, highlighting Standard Chartered’s stance in building a cleaner and greener Vietnam.