VPBANK HANOI MARATHON 2019
October 2019
Two words to describe my entire experience in Hanoi: Beautiful Madness.
The original plan was to race in Hanoi by April 2019. Unfortunately, the organizers pulled out by end of 2018 and I thought racing in Vietnam was no longer an option for 2019—Ho Chi Minh Marathon was to be held by January and I would be racing in Hong Kong by then.
Come March 2019 I was already preparing for my race in Singapore when I saw the Facebook post for the Hanoi International Heritage Marathon (later on renamed to VPBank Hanoi Marathon) to be held around October. I thought it was some form of redemption and I am again on track so I immediately registered. My mom has always wanted to go to Vietnam so she joined me.
I had an evening flight and I arrived in Hanoi around Thursday at 1 in the morning. I made sure I planned this trip efficiently—where to go for the next 4 days, what to wear, where to eat (very important). However, not all things went as planned. I arrived in the hotel which I booked and paid 6 months prior, with the receptionist informing me there has been a system glitch and the hotel is overbooked. I wasn’t sure how to react. I was in a foreign country early in the morning, quite hungry, prepped well for a race and would probably end up sleeping in the street! Lucky for me, the hotel management arranged instead a booking their sister hotel and I would be taken there by taxi for free. The new hotel was within Old Quarter and they upgraded my room and even provided free breakfast; however, it was far from the starting line of the race which was the reason why I booked the original hotel in the first place. I’m quite “OC” so I felt my planned itinerary was turning to dust (I am just thankful at this point that I did not book a tour). It was already past 3 in the morning when I laid down in bed. I could barely sleep.
Around 10 am, I got a call from the reception and they told me I can move back to the original hotel that day. I said I would move on Friday instead and for now will just make the most out of the area where I am in. I won’t be able to get the race kit until Friday evening anyway and the original hotel was just across Hoan Kiem Lake.
The hotel’s customer service was the best I ever had, and I couldn’t get angry despite what happened. All the drama in my head disappeared when I stepped out of the hotel. Hanoi is as vibrant as it can be. Walking around the old buildings, shopping along numerous stores and dodging motorbikes were all part of the charm. I didn’t have any expectations except for the weather which was much colder (24 deg Celsius) than I thought. The price range was quite cheaper than in some Southeast Asian countries. No trip to Vietnam is complete without having their authentic some noodle soup (phở), sandwich (bánh mì), spring rolls (gỏi cuốn) and of course coffee (cà phê đá).
Fast forward to race day.
The area around Hoan Kiem Lake has been closed to vehicles since Friday evening so I could see all the participants jogging and doing their warm-ups in front of the hotel. There were several foreign nationals who joined this race, mostly from neighboring Asian countries like Thailand and Singapore. Weather at 5 am is still pleasant and the crowd was manageable at around 1,500 runners joining the half marathon category. The course is generally flat with a few uphills along with some narrow roads. Passing by several tourist attractions such as St. Joseph Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, and an opportunity to run in Long Bien Bridge allowed the runners to appreciate the city more. Hydration and bananas were adequately distributed but I got concerned with the amount of trash piling up as there are no garbage bags in most hydration stations. The race route was supposed to be blocked from motorists at the most, but there will always be some form of vehicle near the runners. I thought it was part of Hanoi’s charm and I didn’t’ get stressed about this at all. The immense support of volunteers as well as those cheering along the streets just made it more colorful. There are no major freebies in this race except for the medal and finisher’s shirt, as well as readily available fruits and hydration. I just made sure I take advantage of the free massage, which, after that race, was “painfully relaxing”.
I started having side stitches at the 18th km and my calves were throbbing in the last few hundred meters. Still, I had to push since I wanted to at least meet my current PR. I am quite happy with my performance.
This is the first time I had an actual Philippine flag with me during the race. I normally have a small one in my bag with a stick to take photos with after the race. This time I had to snuck it in a belt bag (luckily it was not bouncy) and took it out as I crossed the finish line. As I would always say, even if you are not a national athlete, nor a beauty queen, wherever you go you should make sure you represent your country well.
I would recommend this race in line with the organized activities, supportive volunteers, and scenic route. You will have to pay for official race photos but if you are patient enough to browse social media, you will find the other photos taken by photographers along the route.
With all the beauty and madness of this experience, I would want to return to Hanoi in a heartbeat.
