HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Aug. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — XTEP, a global brand built around running, today announced a five-year official strategic partnership with the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon, a premier large-scale running event in Vietnam. Valid from 2026 through 2030, XTEP will serve as the event’s Exclusive Official Sportswear Sponsor and Strategic Technical Partner, marking a sustained long-term investment in Vietnam’s fast-growing endurance sports landscape.
At the core of XTEP’s global identity lies a clear mission: Xtep’s global proposition is running. This multi-year collaboration aligns fully with that vision, designed to elevate the marathon’s professional standards, deliver end-to-end support for every runner, nurture local grassroots running culture, and expand the race’s international reach — while laying a stronger foundation for XTEP’s ongoing growth across Southeast Asia’s high-potential running market.
Vietnam’s Running Boom Creates Clear Long-Term Opportunity
Running has become a mainstream lifestyle across Vietnam’s major cities, with participation numbers setting new records year after year. The 8th Edition of the Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon in December 2025 welcomed more than 23,000 runners from 81 countries and territories, solidifying its position as the country’s flagship marathon. Months later, the 4th VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight drew 13,000 participants, hitting a new domestic attendance milestone.
Global data from Strava’s Year in Sport Trend Report confirms running remains one of the world’s fastest-growing mass sports, with Southeast Asia — and Vietnam in particular — standing out as a key growth frontier. The rapidly expanding base of casual and elite runners creates clear, untapped market opportunity, perfectly matching XTEP’s running-first global strategy.
For seven years, XTEP has embedded itself within Vietnam’s running ecosystem, establishing partnerships with every major national marathon series. Its high-performance running footwear and apparel, proprietary performance technologies and runner-centric service framework have earned consistent trust among local running communities, cementing XTEP’s standing as a trusted specialist running brand in the country. Years of on-the-ground engagement have positioned the brand to capitalize on the region’s rising running momentum.
Local Runner-First Activations Build Deep Community Connection
Since entering Vietnam, XTEP has built meaningful ties with local runners through consistent, community-focused programming — a core pillar of its global running brand identity.
In 2025, the brand launched X-RUN CAMP exclusively for the Standard Chartered Hanoi Marathon, delivering structured professional training for race pacers to raise the standard of on-course athlete support. XTEP also hosted closed-door Running Friend Gatherings, bringing race organizers and veteran runners together to share course planning, race logistics and science-backed training strategies to help all participants reach their personal goals.
At pre-race marathon expos nationwide, XTEP delivers accessible, immersive experiences for every attendee: complimentary custom event technical tees, professional on-site foot morphology analysis, product testing zones and interactive prize activations. These consistent touchpoints turn one-time race attendees into long-term brand supporters, building a loyal running community that underpins XTEP’s regional growth strategy.
Five-Year Strategic Alliance Delivers Consistent, Long-Term Investment in Vietnam’s Running Future
Unlike short-term, single-year sponsorships, this binding five-year strategic framework delivers stable, continuous professional resources to Techcombank Ho Chi Minh City International Marathon. Over the partnership term, XTEP will supply a full lineup of race-ready high-performance running gear and comprehensive on-site support services, translating its sportswear innovation into tangible performance advantages for runners of all levels.
The collaboration also supports broader industry progress, lifting standards for race operation, athlete services and grassroots running development across Vietnam’s endurance sports sector. As a core strategic hub for XTEP’s global running expansion, Vietnam represents a critical testbed for the brand’s community-led running model, which it will replicate across other ASEAN markets in the years ahead.
“Vietnam’s running movement is still in its early growth phase, and this five-year partnership reflects our long-term belief in the power of the sport here,” said a senior regional lead for XTEP Vietnam. “Everything we do is rooted in our global proposition that running is at the heart of our brand. This is not a short-term marketing activation — it is a multi-year commitment to invest in local runners, race organizers and the future of running in Vietnam.”
Globally, running anchors every layer of XTEP’s international development roadmap. Backed by seven years of local market experience, proprietary running technology and this landmark five-year marathon alliance, XTEP is uniquely positioned to capture the full growth upside of Vietnam’s thriving running market, empowering more athletes to chase their limits through professional, runner-focused innovation.
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