ĐÀ NẴNG — Switzerland’s Caroline Steffen, who was the winner of the VNG Ironman 70.3 Viet Nam 2015, was among triathletes running in the 2.8km Newborns Việt Nam Run Out, from the Hyatt Regency Đà Nẵng Resort & Spa to Đà Nẵng’s Pediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital on Friday.

The charity run, a warm up for the VNG Ironman 70.3 Việt Nam 2016 on Sunday, aims to raise money for Newborn Việt Nam – a programme to reduce deaths of new born babies in Việt Nam.

Steffen donated part of her prize money from last year’s event to the programme, part of $45,000 in donations to for purchasing the first two incubators in Đà Nẵng’s Pediatrics and Obstetrics Hospital last year.

VNG Ironman 70.3 Việt Nam, which has drawn over 1,100 athletes representing 59 countries, including more than 25 professional triathletes and 50 relay teams, will begin with the Iron Kid race today.

Children in the age groups of 6 to 10 and 11 to 14, will race 1.5km and 2km, respectively.

Athletes will start swimming in a 1.9km ocean swim in front of the Hyatt Regency Đà Nẵng Resort & Spa, a two-loop 90km bike race along Trường Sa-Hoàng Sa-Võ Nguyên Giáp-Nguyễn Tất Thành streets, and a 21km run along the coastline of Đà Nẵng on Sunday morning.

Việt Nam is the 30th country in the world and the eighth Asia-Pacific country to host an Ironman triathlon. — VNS