African Runners Rise to Prominence in Vietnam’s Marathon Running Surge | Track & Field Updates

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – Ethiopian runner Tesfaye Tsegaye Keress skillfully navigated a path through nearly 18,000 participants to find his spot close to the start of the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon in December.
Keress found that his small stature – standing at just 1.62 meters (5.3ft) tall and weighing approximately 50kg (116 pounds) – allowed him to easily maneuver among the multitude of runners to secure a strategic position at the front before the starting shots were fired. He was preparing to take on what was billed as Vietnam’s largest marathon.
He had only just arrived in Ho Chi Minh City – Vietnam’s economic hub – several days before. He wasn’t alone; fellow Ethiopian runner Dereje Alemu Miko had come with him to compete in the 21km (13-mile) half-marathon event where Keress would attempt the full 42.1km marathon.
Among thousands of Vietnamese local runners, the presence of Keress and Miko instantly piqued interest. What added to this intrigue was the competitors’ origin from East Africa.
As Keress shared with Al Jazeera, it wasn’t just the love for running that drew them to Vietnam but also the lure of financial success through the sport.
Keress pointed out that securing first place in the Ho Chi Minh City marathon could earn him a $2,500 cash prize. Winning was, he affirmed, a significant goal for him.
“I have a wife and two sons. We manage a chicken farm and have two cows for milk. The money earned from marathon races is earmarked for expanding the farm,” he explained.
However, to triumph, he had to outpace not just Vietnam’s best long-distance athletes but also face Edwin Kiptoo – another East African runner currently reigning supreme in Vietnam’s marathon scene after a series of significant race wins.

Adapting to Vietnam’s Streets

In Ethiopia, a country renowned for its top-tier track athletes, Keress might be considered an average runner. His personal best to finish a marathon is 2:23:50, achieved in a 2023 marathon in Thailand, which, although impressive, would not qualify him for top-tier marathon competitions like the Boston Marathon requiring speeds under 2 hours and 13 minutes.
But in Vietnam, where running has surged in popularity over the past decade, Keress’s speed qualifies him as a championship contender. The rising middle class seeking fitness options in the country’s burgeoning cities and the social aspect of running in well-attended marathons have contributed to this growth. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s setbacks, running in Vietnam has bounced back, registering a surge in participation and event sponsorships.
Vietnam’s many marathons, now offering lucrative prizes, are drawing in high-performance athletes like Keress and Kiptoo from East Africa’s elite running hubs.

East Africans have long dominated competitive running, with stars like Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie making history. The pathways for promising talents are often paved by sports agents who broker deals to compete in global events, potentially taking a share of the winnings. Such an arrangement brought Keress and Miko to Vietnam for the Ho Chi Minh City marathon. They are managed by a Thai promoter who sponsors a team of runners while running a company specializing in energy supplements for athletes.
Indeed, the surge in marathon running has established a thriving market for running gear and other associated services in Thailand. When runners like Keress and Miko win races, it yields substantial returns for sponsoring brands and their products/services.

Evolution from Prize-Seeker to Celebrity Athlete in Vietnam

Upon Edwin Kiptoo’s arrival in Vietnam in December 2023, he found himself initially unprepared for the local costs and challenges. Accommodation was a struggle for him, with a tight budget of less than $6. Fate smiled upon him when he met local runner Le Hoan, who, noticing the shared birthday with Kiptoo’s wife, invited him home. Kiptoo’s win in the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City Marathon introduced him to local fame and financial stability, moving beyond mere prize-winning to celebrity status among Vietnamese fans.
Since his victories, Kiptoo has become a sought-after competitor in Vietnam, his weekly earnings averaging around $1,000 for first-place finishes across the country. The support irked by Vietnamese people made him feel at home, and his sports celebrity status was featured numerous times by Vietnamese media.

Vietnam: A Risky Yet Promising Destination

Participating in Vietnam’s marathons not only challenges athletes physically and mentally, it also involves navigating the complexities of their professional journeys, including the enticing yet risky nature of their opportunities. Despite the setbacks—ranging from prize miscommunications to issues with visa extensions—the lure of Vietnam for runners like Kiptoo is substantial, offering a combination of challenges and rewards that continue to draw competitive athletes from East Africa.
Note: The training camp location and the exact lender of the Thai promoter’s support are not specified in the original text. The original text also doesn’t explicitly mention that any group affiliated with the runners received financial support from the Vietnamese government or private enterprises. It’s important to ensure precise interpretations and no overestimation of details not directly stated in the source content.

Maintaining visibility and financial security remains a gamble, marked by the narratives of other runners encountering discrepancies in race promises. Kiptoo’s career in Vietnam—now backed by a major sponsorship with Do-Win Vietnam—provides him a virtually unassailable position in the country’s marathons.
While the promise of financial rewards from Vietnam’s marathons spreads among East African runners, the journey is fraught with challenges and uncertainties. Even for adept runners like Kiptoo and Keress, every race involves a calculation of risks and rewards.