Marathon 

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Tiến and Đào Thùy have set Việt Nam's new record of distance running in 24 hours - said to be even better than records in Southeast Asia.

Two marathoners from the VKL Runners Clubs began the run at 12 noon on December 21 and wrapped up exactly 24 hours later, on December 22 in Hà Nội.

Tiến ran 239.16k in 23hr 55.26min at a pace of 6, while Thùy completed her run of 238.09km in 23:56:05 with a 6.02 pace.

Their results bettered the record of last year, by Nguyễn Đăng Hiếu's, who ran 230.41km.

Tiến was the third male taking part in the challenge, while Thùy was the only woman running over the distance.

Thùy, a lecturer from the College of Urban Works Construction, did not believe that she could complete the challenge, let alone run faster than the national record.

Previously Thùy had run the Longbien Marathon 2024 in October, completing it in a personal best time of 3:27.57

Technician Tiến began running in early 2023. He also achieved a personal best time of 3:27.33 in the 42km category of the Longbien Marathon 2024.

"I was trying to take the top podium in the club's competition, after my second place last year. After running 160km, I noticed that I had plenty of time, so I could break the record, so I upped my pace, gave it my best and made it," said Tiến.

Their times were considered better than those of the current Southeast Asian records.

Previously, Hiếu's time was recorded as an unofficial Southeast Asian record, better than the officially recognised 218km run in 2019 by Filipino Rolando Espina.

The current world record is 319.614km by Lithuanian Aleksandr Sorokin set in 2022 and 270.363km by Japanese Miho Nakata made last December in the women's side. OVN