About 5,000 local and foreign runners will participate in the 2018 Manulife Da Nang International Marathon – one of the top marathon events in Southeast Asia – along the coastline of the central city of August 12.

Vietnamese and Japanese runners celebrate after finishing the half marathon category at the Da Nang marathon in 2017

World Marathon Company and Pulse Active – organisers of the race – said on June 3 that the number of runners would be limited at 5,000 after early bird registration was launched in January.

This year’s race is the 6th edition, with the tagline ‘Because I love Da Nang’. It will be split into four categories – 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km – starting in East Sea Park, then over the city’s iconic bridges, Tran Thi Ly and Thuan Phuoc, before trailing along the pristine beaches of My Khe and Man Thai.

Since it was first organised in 2013, the event has attracted some 30,000 athletes from all over the world, and is seen as one of the top three marathons in Southeast Asia, according to Rad Season.

The publication Eat Play Surf also selected the Manulife Da Nang International Marathon as one of the top 10 marathons in Southeast Asia, with the most beautiful runway.

Last year, more than 5,700 runners from 44 countries and territories joined the race, and more than 21,000 USD was raised for handicapped people, orphans, AO/dioxin victims, the Village of Hope and 15 low-income families in the city. 

Japan’s Izawa Satoshi and Lany Cardona from the Philippines won the men’s and women’s 42km in 2017.

The oldest runner of 2017 was Noriko Sakota, 72, from Japan, who completed the 42km race in three hours and 35.39.-VNS/VNA