Running

Runners take part in the previous UpRace event. The sixth UpRace season will be held from October 6-29 with the theme "The Joyful Road". — Photo courtesy of UpRace.

HCM CITY — The highly impactful community running event UpRace will take place from October 6-29 with all proceeds used to support three organisations dedicated to causes in education, social development and the environment.

UpRace is an annual virtual run for the community initiated and technically sponsored by VNG, one of Việt Nam’s first unicorn start-ups specialising in digital content, online entertainment, social networking, and e-commerce, since 2018.

UpRace 2023 is expected to inspire hundreds of thousands of runners to take part in the event with a commitment of donating VNĐ1,000 to social organisations for each kilometre they run.

Themed The Joyful Road, this year's UpRace aims to inspire more participants to join this run-for-community journey, focusing more on experiences and emotions during running rather than the total distance.

Over five seasons, UpRace has attracted more than 350,000 participants, collectively running an impressive 16.5 million kilometres, providing support to seven distinct social organisations.

GreenViet members plant watershed trees with locals. — Photo courtesy of UpRace

This year, Vừ A Dính Scholarship Fund has joined UpRace for the first time. The fund aims to find financial sources for an 8,000-scholarship programme granting to disadvantaged students who are of ethnic minorities and live in remote island areas in the period of 2023-24.

"By participating in UpRace 2023, you have become a close companion in our spring journey to go up the forest down the sea," said former Vice President Trương Mỹ Hoa, Chairwoman of Vừ A Dính Scholarship Fund.

"Your every step will drive us towards remote villages and islands, enabling us to provide scholarships to diligent and underprivileged students across every corner of our nation.”

Beneficiaries include GreenViet which aims to plant 60,000 trees in their "Bring the forest back to life" project, establishing a 50ha expanse of robust timber trees. This endeavour is pivotal for promoting sustainable forest management in the Central Highlands, an area increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters.

ASVHO supports poor people with intraocular lens replacement surgery with donations from UpRace runners. — Photo courtesy of UpRace

The Association for Vietnamese Handicapped and Orphans will use the UpRace funds to support more than 150 poor people with cataract replacement surgery and 100 people with disabilities to start their family businesses for sustainable and long-term income sources.

Three offline running events will also take place across the country, in Đà Nẵng on October 15, in Hà Nội on October 22 and in HCM City on October 29 .

For those who wish to support but can not participate in the physical event, they can donate through the organisation's ZaloPay donation portals, seamlessly integrated into UpRace's official Zalo account.

"Our aspiration extends beyond achieving numerical milestones; it encompasses the profound emotions and happiness that each runner and our supporting businesses will experience in this journey," said Trần Xuân Ngọc Thảo, representative of UpRace 2023.

"This sentiment is the driving force behind the commitment of the UpRace team to connect people and sustain this impactful project over the years.”

UpRace 2023 ambassadors Miss Fitness Việt Nam 2022 Đoàn Thu Thủy, singer/actress Chi Pu and famous runner Trần Văn Đảng (from left to right) and various influential marathoners. — Photo courtesy of UpRace

UpRace 2023 features three esteemed ambassadors, singer/actress Chi Pu, Miss Fitness Việt Nam 2022 Đoàn Thu Thủy and 31st SEA Games silver medallist Trần Văn Đảng. The event also boasts the participation of prominent figures in the running community as well as influential personalities.

"The Uprace race is very different from other running event as when I run I can contribute my part to support social organisations and people with difficulties," Đảng told Việt Nam News.

"As an ambassador, I will run as many kilometres as possible and popularise the event and encourage people to join me." — VNS