
(Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNS/VNA) - More than 8,200runners from 63 countries and territories will participate in the secondTechcombank HCM City Marathon in HCM City on December 2, the largest marathonevent in Vietnam.
Theevent has attracted professional athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia, includingKeter Peter of Kenya who won the gold medal in the men’s category and otherwinners in the men and women’s categories last year.
Therunners will compete in three races: a full marathon at 42.2km, a half-marathonat 21km and a 10km race, with more than 1,050 registrants for a full marathon.
Theraces will start at the Zoological and Botanical Garden in District 1 andfinish at the Empire City Complex in District 2’s Thu Thiem area, passing bythe city’s historic landmarks such as the HCM City Post Office, Saigon OperaHouse, City Hall and others.
There will also be a Kid’s Run and a 5km race on December 1 at theMarathon Village inside the Empire City Complex.
The 5km race, which is new this year, was established to encouragemore residents to get involved in running and have a healthy lifestyle, NguyenThi Anh Hoa, deputy director of the HCM City Department of Tourism, said at theopening ceremony of Marathon Village in HCM City’s District 2 on November 30.
Thetournament is one of the key events in a series of activities to celebrate HCMCity’s 300th birthday, she said.
Thetotal prizes, worth nearly 30,000 USD, include a cash prize of 5,000 USD eachfor top prize in the male and female Marathon Open category, and 2,000 USD eachfor best male and female athlete in the Marathon Vietnamese Open category.
Theevent is co-organised by the HCM City departments of Tourism; Culture andSports, the city’s Athletics Federation; Sunrise Events Vietnam, andTechcombank.
Techcombankwill donate 10,000 VND to every 1km finished within a time (to be set by theorganisers) to the HCM City Fund for the Poor and the Promotion Fund for YoungTalents of HCM City.
Morethan 5,000 athletes from 44 countries participated in the first edition of theevent in 2017, which raised over 600 million VND (25,735 USD) for the charity. –VNS/VNA