In the last two half marathon races I ran (Galway 2019 & Paderborn 2023) I managed to just squeak under the 1:30 mark, so was hoping to do the same here. Wishful thinking though, and while I’d like to blame it all on the heat, my training hasn’t been great either. Still though, I pushed on in the final stretch and I’m happy with a sub 1:40!
Build up
The race was delayed by a week due to the passing of a former president. So after an extended (and amazing) stay in Hanoi I got down to Ha Long on Friday evening, staying at a nice hotel in the centre.
On Saturday I made my way over to the expo. Got lost along the way so was a bit of an ordeal but made it there eventually! This race is part of the VN Express series, that seems to take place all over Vietnam throughout the year. Really well organised and great value – t-shirt, hat, shorts, finisher tee and medal all included in the registration price.
The expo/start line is by the bay so I went for a walk down to check it out, beautiful spot it has to be said, and then got a taxi back to the hotel. I had a pasta dinner and then hit the cot – this being a South East Asian race, it starts in the middle of the night!
I got up and through on the Champions League final as I got ready, hoping for an Inter upset. Not looking great at halftime, but as a Liverpool fan I know anything is possible in the final so thought back to 20 years ago. I called in to a pickleball hall for a bit of the second half and after the third goal went in for PSG I made my way to the start line.
Had to stop and take a pic
Race Report
A tough race. First 7k were okay, middle 7 a total slog, but a good final 7k – motivated by the stunning sunrise – brought me home in 1:39:42. Found the heat really tough but pouring an ice-cold bottle of water over me dome rebooted the system and helped a lot, at the cost of nearly destroying my phone – got a warning about the usb post having water damage 😅
| KM | Experience |
|---|---|
| 🏁 0-1k – Easing in | Slow start as I was pretty far at the back. Eased into the race a bit. |
| ⚙️ 2-7k – Picking up | Picked up the pace and motoring nicely. |
| 🌡️ 7-10k – Heat creeping in | Slowing up a bit, heat taking its toll. |
| 🌅 10-14k – Inspired grind | A slog, almost walking at times, but the turn around point and sunrise was inspiring. |
| 💦 14-19k – Back in rhythm | Picked it up a lot, found my rhythm after drenching myself in cold water. |
| 😌 19-21k – Sweet relief | Slowed down a bit again, happy in the knowledge I'd make the sub 1:40. |
Post-Race
Grabbed a taxi back to the gaff and chilled out for a bit. Instead of wasting the day away I decided to do some sightseeing – a Ha Long Bay cruise had to be done – so made my way over to the bay for 10am. In typical fashion I left it a bit late and made a balls of the taxi but thankfully the cruise company waited for me and directed the taxi driver for me, and a wonderful relaxing day on a boat was had.
When I got back I checked out the VN Express site to check my chip time and see how the race photos turned out. All completely free to download, and possibly my best race pics yet!
DavAI SummAIriser
Want a quick summary of this post?
