The Halong Bay Heritage Marathon 2024 attracts over 13,500 athletes from 55 countries. (Photo: baoquangninh.vn)
The Halong Bay Heritage Marathon 2025 is scheduled to take place this November in Ha Long city, the northern province of Quang Ninh, with around 15,000 participants expected, according to the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The Republic of Korea (RoK) travel agency Mercurytour is set to bring approximately 1,500 Korean runners to the event, including professional runners, tourists, entrepreneurs, and Korean workers living in Vietnam.
First launched in 2014, the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon has steadily grown to become one of the region’s most recognised marathon events. Now in its 10th edition, the race is not only a prestigious sporting event but also an important platform for promoting the image of Ha Long Bay – a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site – to international visitors.
The department pledged to coordinate closely with relevant agencies to organise tourism activities in conjunction with the race. Efforts are underway to work with accommodation providers and tourist destinations to meet visitors' needs, as well as with the organisers to ensure smooth organisation of the event.
Quang Ninh regards sports events as a strategic priority in attracting tourists. In 2025, the province is hosting a range of high-profile sporting events, such as the VnExpress Marathon 2025, the Yen Tu Mountain Climb 2025, the Yen Tu Heritage Marathon 2025, the Aqua Warriors Ha Long 2025 (a duathlon event), and the Aqua Warriors Van Don 2025.
Organising sports, cultural, tourism, and art events is seen as a vital part of Quang Ninh’s strategy to reach its target of 20 million visitors in 2025, including 4.5 million international arrivals. The provincial tourism department is also advising the People’s Committee on hosting a dedicated conference this year focusing on tourism development through sporting events.
The Halong Bay Heritage Marathon is an official race under the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS), with a certified international-standard course. This enables athletes to use their results to qualify for major events in the Abbott World Marathon Majors, including the New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, London Marathon, Boston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Berlin Marathon, and, from 2024, Sydney Marathon.
