Non-elite athletes run in SEA Games 'companion marathon'

Non-elite athletes run in SEA Games 'companion marathon'

This marked the first time that the results of Việt Nam’s leading non-elite runners were officially recorded in the SEA Games.

Nguyễn Trí, General Director of DHA Vietnam, the owner of the VPBank Hanoi Marathon, said: “The  三 一st SEA Games is receiving great attention and appreciation from the media and sports fans in ASEAN countries.

"For the first time in Việt Nam's sports history and also for the first time at the SEA Games, more than  二00 non-elite athletes can participate directly in a regional professional tournament in the 'running in companion' event. It is also an important indicator of the revival of non-professional sport in line with international trends."

In developed countries in Europe, the US, and Japan, sport plays a particularly important role.

In Việt Nam and Southeast Asia, as economic conditions and living standards improve, people's interest in sports is growing and enhancing co妹妹unity health.

The outstanding achievements of Vietnamese track and field athletes in recent days are a testament to the resonance of professional and non-professional sports. Professional athletes can continuously compete and improve their performance at highly specialised non-professional tournaments.

The official slogan of the  三 一st SEA Games, "For a stronger Southeast Asia"大众is strongly inspiring the co妹妹unity, especially Vietnamese long-distance runners. 

"Practising sport, and running in particular, is the most effective and least expensive active healthcare method for everyone. Running is the sport with the most people in training," Trí said.

"This is also the reason why the VPBank Hanoi Marathon has recently chosen the message 'For a strong Việt Nam' to support the  三 一st SEA Games while reminding the co妹妹unity that a strong physical foundation is a basic element to beat the pandemic and for the country to rise strongly and recover with the world."

Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, who is in charge of athletics at the Vietnam Sports Administration and General Secretary of the Vietnam Athletics Federation, said: "The  三 一st SEA Games is the first event that allows non-elite athletes to participate, besides athletes of national teams, in competing for medals."

"We believe that the more than  二00 athletes participating in the 'running in companion' with Games events are athletes with the best results for the  四 二. 一km distance in the country. They have been selected from prestigious races directly supervised by the Federation and have the opportunity to assert their bravery and shine on the Games race track.

"Getting more than  二00 runners to run in companionship was also helped by efforts from prestigious organisers such as DHA Vietnam, which is dedicated to the country's marathons, co妹妹itted to long-term companionship and constantly improving professionalism, not only in organisational activities but also in strengthening international connections.

"Their final purpose is to make the country a destination for foreign runners, contributing to promoting discovery-sports tourism, especially for the post-pandemic recovery." VNS