Marathon «Standard Chartered Marathon Di sản Hà Nội 2026» (Hanoi Heritage Race)

   Eighteen thousand runners are expected on a start line in the middle of the Vietnamese capital — from children taking on a 2.1 km dash to age-groupers chasing a qualifying time for Boston or Tokyo. For a few hours the centre of Hanoi belongs to the people running through it rather than to its traffic.

   This is the tenth leg of the global Standard Chartered Marathon series. The course is measured to AIMS standards, and finishing times feed into the Abbott World Marathon Majors Age Group Ranking — the system that qualifies amateur runners for the seven biggest marathons on the planet: Boston, Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Sydney.

   The heritage symbol chosen for this season is Long Bien Bridge (Cầu Long Biên), the French-built crossing of the Red River dating from 1898 that took American bombing during the war and is still standing. Its silhouette carries over onto the official race shirt, woven from recycled fibre, under the season slogan «Bứt phá, vươn xa» — "Together, we run further".

   The essentials:

• — distances: marathon 42.195 km, half marathon 21.0975 km, 10 km, 5 km and a 2.1 km Kid Dash;
• — organisers expect 18,000 Vietnamese and international runners;
• — new this year — the Corporate Cup (Cúp Doanh Nghiệp), a company team competition running for the first time, with the winning team flown to the Standard Chartered Shanghai 10KM Run;
• — timing by Sportstats Asia, aid stations every 2.5–3 km, official pacers carrying balloon target times, and free course photography;
• — community programmes: "Trao giày cũ – Nhận niềm vui" collects and cleans second-hand running shoes for children in need, while "Thắp sáng đường chạy" pairs visually impaired runners with guides.

   Who it is for. Age-groupers building a qualifying record will find their result counts here. First-timers and families have the 5 km and the Kid Dash, so nobody has to sit the weekend out. Companies and running clubs now have a classification of their own with a trip as the prize. And if you live in Hanoi or are passing through, running the old quarters is a different city entirely from seeing them through a bus window.

   The race began in 2018 as the Hanoi International Heritage Marathon and drew over 3,000 entrants. In 2019 the Hanoi People's Committee named it the city's official international marathon and the field more than doubled to over 6,000 runners from more than 50 countries and territories. In 2020 it became the official marathon of Vietnam's ASEAN Chairmanship year. In 2023 more than 10,000 people registered, 3,000 of them for the full marathon — at the time the largest domestic full-marathon field in Vietnam — and close to 9,000 finished, including over 1,000 foreign runners. Standard Chartered became title sponsor in 2024, making this the third season under the bank's name.

   The 2026 event hub sits in one of the largest green spaces in central Hanoi, next to the Central Circus and across the road from Bach Khoa University, about ten minutes by taxi from the Old Quarter. The same site hosts the Race Expo: race kit collection, partner and sponsor booths, and three days of community activity and art performances. The course itself has been redrawn for 2026 and detailed maps are published closer to race day.

   The event is organised by DHA Vietnam with Vietnam's arm of Standard Chartered as title sponsor — a bank present in the country since 1904. "We want to give athletes a safe race and good personal results, but we also want to use this event as a platform for values such as civility, unity and care for the environment," said Nguyen Tri Man (Nguyễn Trí Mẫn), the organiser's Director of Strategy and Market Development, at the launch press conference.

   Entry and eligibility. Bib prices move up in phases as race day approaches; groups registering five bibs or more get 5% off, and paying with any Standard Chartered card takes 10% off. Minimum ages are counted on race day: 9 for the 5 km, 12 for the 10 km, 16 for the half marathon and 18 for the marathon, and anyone under 16 needs a liability waiver signed by a legal guardian. No official bib means no start, and registration closes as soon as the participant cap is reached.

   How the three days work: exhibitions, community meet-ups and art performances run across the whole period, while the competitive races are held on the final day, a Sunday. Race kits are handed out in advance at the Race Expo, with exact collection times and the pickup point emailed to each registered runner.

   Questions about registration and race kits go to [email protected]. Register while places last.

   November is Hanoi's dry, cool season — the best window of the year to test your legs and read the city by its street names as you pass them.