The first international marathon in Ha Noi will be organized on April 14th, 2019, by Danish-Vietnamese joint-venture Topas, in association with the Embassy of Denmark, the city People’s Committee and Department of Culture and Sports.
Mr. To Van Dong, Director of the Department of Culture and Sports, said that the event will promote Ha Noi’s beauty through well-known tourist attractions; attract more international tourists, increase interest in jogging, and arouse pride in the 1,000 year-old culture of Ha Noi.
Besides encouraging a healthy lifestyle, the organizers of Ha Noi International Marathon 2019 also aim to attract Vietnamese athletes and international tourists to the capital; bringing sport tourism into strength of the northern hub.
The tournament will be attended by tens of thousands of athletes from more than 50 countries and territories around the world. The athletes will compete in three distances: 10km, 21km, and 42km.
They will run a route passing well-known landscapes of Ha Noi such as the Opera House, Old Quarter, West Lake, and Guom Lake. Security measures have also been prepared.
From September 2018, the organizers will officially open registration at https://hanoiinternationalmarathon.com/.
They hope to create a race like large-scale Asian tournaments such as Marathon in Singapore, Tokyo or European world-class events like those in London and Berlin.
The event also raises funds for humanitarian activities. Donations from the marathon will be used to support Newborns Viet Nam, a UK-based charity organization which helps reduce the infant mortality rate in Viet Nam, and Operation Smile.