As many as 5,400 people participated in a ceremony launching the 40 th Hanoi Moi newspaper Run for Peace at the Quan Ngua Sport Palace in the capital on June 16.

The event is the key annual sports event organised by the newspaper, which is a subsidiary of the Hanoi People’s Committee. This year’s run is celebrating a variety of milestones, including the 68 th anniversary of the August Revolution and the National Day; the 59 th anniversary of the capital’s liberation; the 14 th anniversary of Hanoi 's UNESCO recognition as a City for Peace; and the 56 th birthday of Hanoi Moi newspaper.

This year, the run is included as an event in the eighth Capital Gymnastics and Sports Games Festival.

Around 110,000 students and 45,000 officials, workers and soldiers will take part in races in 29 districts and towns across the city from June 16.

The final round of the Run for Peace is expected to be held on October 6 with the participation of more than 2,000 runners.

Last year's event attracted a record 270,000 runners.-VNA