Phnom Penh (VNA) -🃏 The final stage of the Viettel Marathon Series 2024, the first Vietnamese-initiated running event crossing the Indochinese region, took place in Cambodia on December 22.

The Cambodian leg, sponsored by Metfone, a subordinate company of the Viettel Military Industry and Telecoms Group operating in Cambodia, built upon the success of the two previous stages held in Luang Prabang (Laos) and Hanoi (Vietnam). It attracted 9,000 athletes from various countries and territories worldwide, including top track and field athletes from nations in the region. In the men’s full marathon, Vietnamese recordholder Nguyen Van Lai demonstrated his dominance by finishing first with an impressive time of 2 hours, 20 minutes, and 54 seconds, the second-best result in Vietnam’s men’s marathon history. In the women’s 21km race, Nguyen Thi Oanh also of Vietnam, fresh off her victory in the full marathon at the Vietnamese leg on December 1, triumphed again with a time of 1 hour, 21 minutes, and 15 seconds. Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Cuong, another runner from Vietnam, claimed the title in the men’s 21km race, clocking in at 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 57 seconds. In the women’s full marathon, former Vietnamese national team athlete Pham Thi Hong Le secured first place with a time of 2 hours, 49 minutes, and 14 seconds, followed closely by runner-up Bui Thu Ha at 2 hours, 50 minutes, and 26 seconds. The event concluded with an awards ceremony at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, where the organisers honoured athletes who delivered exceptional performances across all categories and distances. Metfone CEO Cao Manh Duc highlighted that the marathon series is part of activities celebrating 20 years of Viettel's mobile service operations. Its inaugural year, spanning three stages in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, has achieved remarkable successes, attracting nearly 25,000 athletes from various countries and territories worldwide. Viettel is proud that the marathon not only promotes the spirit of sportsmanship but also strengthens the bonds between the three brotherly neighbours, he noted./.