NEWS RELEASE: VPBank Hanoi Marathon 2021 Announces New Organization Plan

 

HANOI, February 25 (DHA Vietnam) - The Race Organizing Committee (ROC) of the VPBank Hanoi Marathon has announced that it will scale down the size of the upcoming March 6, 2022 race in both the content and the number of participating runners at a request by the Hanoi Culture and Sports Department to ensure safety for runners, event attendants and the whole community.

The department’s request was made as the number of new COVID-19 infections in the capital remained high, hovering at around 5,000 cases per day and this complicated development was not expected to end soon. Therefore, the plan of organizing for 10,000 marathoners to run through five inner city districts would pose potential risks to the community and the pandemic prevention drive.

Right after receiving the request, the ROC has immediately begun building a new organizational plan with professional assistance coming directly from the Vietnam Athletics Federation (VAF), only for Full Marathon (FM, 42.195 km) runners. Having selected nearly 1,500 applications from candidates with high FM results, the ROC has found 600 runners qualified to compete on March 6, 2022 on the running track expected to be used for the 31^st SEA Games marathon.

Assoc.Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tri, General Director of DHA Vietnam, the owner of the marathon, said: “The last-minute change when the completed organization plan for 10,000 runners has to change the location, route and number of runners requires a great effort from the ROC, but DHA is proud to be the only organizer that receives the absolute trust from the authorities, so that the marathon will still go ahead with a special responsibility to prepare for the upcoming 31st SEA Games. This is the first time that a running event has been allowed by the VAF to introduce the National Record-Breaking Prize in marathon, a decision that is in line with the world sport trend of attaching importance to the fundamental level rather than only to high achievement sport.”

Dr. Tri confirmed: “DHA and other ROC members, including the VAF, will do everything to ensure the race be organized safely, accomplishing the mission assigned by the Vietnam Sports Administration to successfully select the best runners to participate in the marathon content and accompany the SEA Games.”

“For a strong Vietnam” has been picked by the ROC as the main message for the marathon.

Mr. Tri said: “This is not only a message to cheer for the 31st SEA Games but also an extra-ordinary reminder to the community that a foundation of strong physical strength is the basic factor to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, and sports (in which running has the largest number of people practicing) is the basis to create that physical foundation. The message also reflects the belief that Vietnam will get a powerful victory against the pandemic and rise up strongly, recovering to catch up the momentum with the world.”

“For a strong Vietnam” is also a message about a new lifestyle, sportsmanship and increased public health. Practicing sports in general and running in particular is the most effective and least expensive, active health care method for everyone. That is also a highly precious awakening point from the pandemic.

By now the new organization plan has been approved by the authorities. Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, VAF General Secretary, said: “The new running track is also the venue for the 31st SEA Games marathon, including a part of the F1 track and some other streets around the National Sport Complex. The scaling down of the marathon organization not only ensures the safety requirements in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, but also demonstrates the ROC's responsibility to the running community and meets the urgent requirement of selecting the Top 200 runners to perform a national duty to accompany the 31st SEA Games held in Vietnam.”

At the same time, Mr. Hung highly appreciated the efforts of the organizers and DHA Vietnam Company which have always been steadfast, accompanying the idea of bringing an increasingly professional playground for runners who are passionate about long-distance running. The announcement of prizes for new national records, along with the prize valued at VND 50 million/national record in the context that most of the marathons have opted to postpone or cancel due to the pandemic is a great encouragement, ‘refueling’ runners to compete and overcame their own limits toward establishing new national records, aiming for gold medals in Marathon at the 31st SEA Games.

So far the national records in marathon have been among the longest standing records in Vietnam's National Athletics Championships, with the 18-year old record of 2:21:51 set by athlete Nguyen Chi Dong at the 22nd SEA Games, which was held in Vietnam in 2003, and the record of 2:45:09 established by athlete Hoang Thi Thanh at the National Athletics Championships in 2016.

Before that, the national record set by veteran Bui Luong (2:32:00) had existed for 35 years (from 1968 to 2003).

Mr. Hung said: “The cooperation with public professional marathons such as the VPBank Hanoi Marathon helps athletes from the national athletic team have more opportunities to compete, and also creates a great motivation for athletes to practice and raise their achievements. This is also the first time in the history of Vietnam's marathon that a race has announced a huge prize for breaking the national record.”

The VPBank Hanoi Marathon ROC understands that all runners are deserved, and have the right to compete on the race day, but with this scaled-down size, the ROC is forced to set criteria to select runners for the upcoming race day. (Please see the attached criteria). The ROC has sent a notification letter to all runners, and also constantly updates changes of the race on the marathon's website and Facebook fan page for runners to monitor and have a timely conversion plan.

All registered runners who are not qualified to compete on March 6, 2022 will have their full rights reserved for the 2022 race, scheduled to take place in October 2022. In addition, each runner who does not compete on March 6, 2022 will receive a discount voucher for Bib registration for the 2023 race.

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Held annually since 2018, the VPBank Hanoi Marathon has become Hanoi’s official race and won recognition to be a member of the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) since 2019, with a running track standardized by AIMS experts and the Vietnam Athletics Federation. Runners’ results, in addition to be qualified for competing in the 31st SEA Games, are still recognized to qualify for the prestigious Boston Marathon. The VPBank Hanoi Marathon has joined the Age Group Ranking System of Abbott World Marathon Majors, counting from 2022.

The Heritage Race system, owned and organized annually by DHA Vietnam, comprises of the VPBank Hanoi Marathon in October, the Halong Bay Heritage Marathon in November and the Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race in December.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT

• Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh, DHA Vietnam Executive Director, Tel: 090 343 2295
• Ms. Tran Dieu Hong, i/o Communications for the VPHM 2021, Tel: 091 367 0989