Marathon

Representatives of three athletics federation and Viettel Group at the signing sponsorship ceremony of the Viettel Marathon Series on August 16 in Hà Nội. Photos of VietContent

HÀ NỘI — The Viettel Marathon Series will kick off its inaugural season with three races held across Indochina, in Laos, Cambodia, and Việt Nam later this year.

The first event will be held in Luang Prabang, Laos, on November 3. The second one will take place in Hà Nội, Việt Nam, on December 1. The final one will be organised in Angkor Wat, Cambodia, on December 22.

The Indochinese races are expected to welcome around 25,000 participants of the host countries and around the world competing in four distances of marathon (42.195km), half-marathon (21.0975km), 10km and 5km.

The marathons will deliver a huge award of up to US$150,000 for the high-ranking runners who will compete in elite and amateur categories. The organisers also give prizes to best clubs and teams in the disciplines of Viettel Marathon Golden Club and Viettel Marathon Golden Team with special bonuses.

“Viettel Marathon is organised to create a healthy competition platform to the runners in all three countries. It is an activity to popularise running to wider communities, promote local tourism and strengthen friendship and relationship of the hosts and regional countries," said Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, Việt Nam Athletics Federation's General Secretary.

"We will invite runners from ASEAN and marathon hubs such as Japan and China to compete in the elite category. They will be big challenges to Vietnamese national athletes such as Lương Đức Phước, Nguyễn Trung Cường and Nguyễn Thị Oanh in all three legs.”

Attending the event, Tigor Tanjung, Vice President of the Asian Athletics said it was the first time such a marathon series organised in Asia and the Vietnamese initiative received high apprecaition from member countries.

He said the unique Viettel Marathon would become an inspiring start for the next same kind of running in Asia. And he believed in the success of the races.

Many runners take part in the Viettel Marathon Series announcing ceremony. They will run in three legs of the tournament in Luang Prabang, Hà Nội and Angkor Wat later this year.

"Viettel Marathon is a commitment and continuation of the 'Creation for people' journey of Viettel, with the goal of connecting the community, encourages the health exercise movement for everyone, of all ages," said Bạch Tiến Tuân, Deputy General Director of Viettel Telecommunications Corporation, member of the main sponsor Viettel Group.

"We hope Viettel Marathon will be developed into a global marathon series, building a large community working together towards the good values ​​of sports."

The Việt Nam Athletics Federation, the Khmer Amateur Athletics Federation, and the Laos Amateur Athletic Federation and Viettel Group co-organise the marathon which is supervised and provided professional support. VNS