Winning the Trang An Marathon with mismatched shoes

Published Dec 18, 2025

Ho Quang Binh became the champion of the 2025 Trang An Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 38 minutes, and 32 seconds. Remarkably, this young runner from Hue almost had to withdraw due to a peculiar incident.

The marathon champion with mismatched shoes

Sharing on his personal page, Ho Quang Binh recounted his “strange yet memorable” journey. At kilometer 30, his right shoe suddenly broke badly, forcing him to slow down and almost give up. “I was about to walk and give up, but Gia Bao – who ran the same route – asked and readily lent me a shoe. Although the shoe was smaller and a different type, luckily I could still use it,” Binh wrote.

A miracle happened: with one of his own shoes and one borrowed, Ho Quang Binh persevered and overtook his Kenyan opponent Kipchumba in the final kilometer, crossing the finish line with a time of 2 hours 38 minutes and 32 seconds, winning first place overall in the full marathon. He finished 43 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Kipchumba Kimotai (Kenya).

“It was so emotional, I will probably remember that moment forever,” the champion said emotionally. He also didn’t forget to thank the organizers, volunteers, and the people of Ninh Binh for their enthusiastic support throughout the race.

Ho Quang Binh’s victory, a 22-year-old runner from Hue, is a symbol of the never-give-up spirit of Vietnamese runners. From a moment when he seemed on the verge of collapse, he turned the setback into motivation to rise up and surpass even his African opponent, who is known for his endurance. In a race with the message “live healthy – live green in the heart of heritage,” Ho Quang Binh’s story is the most beautiful proof: sportsmanship, willpower, and perseverance can help people conquer any race.

Quang Binh finished first, 43 seconds ahead of Kipchumba.

This year’s Trang An Marathon saw a record number of over 10,000 athletes from 63 provinces and cities and more than 15 countries. The race featured four distances: 42.195 km, 21.095 km, 10 km, and 5 km, supervised by the Vietnam Athletics Federation to ensure international technical standards. Besides Ho Quang Binh, Pham Thi My Duyen was the champion in the women’s marathon with a time of 3 hours 13 minutes and 37 seconds. Each champion received 15 million VND in prize money, from a total prize fund of 500 million VND.