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| A runner poses for a photo at the launch event of the Salonpas HCMC Marathon 2021 – PHOTO: THANH HOA |
Sponsored by Salonpas, this year’s event has been renamed Salonpas HCMC Marathon, featuring five distances—42, 21, 10, 5 and 1.5 kilometers. As part of the event, more than 50 people with disabilities will join the “OI RUN: Run with People with Disabilities” program on the same day.
“Run with People with Disabilities” is an annual program organized by the HCMC Peace and Development Fund to offer people with disabilities and the victims of Agent Orange the opportunity to join community activities and call for more support for the disadvantaged.
Mai Ba Hung, deputy director of the HCMC Department of Culture and Sports, said this marathon has been one of the city’s major events to celebrate the New Year. In the Covid-19 context, it also aims to encourage citizens to engage in physical activity more regularly to improve their health.
Moreover, the Salonpas HCMC Marathon 2021 will offer additional prizes for runners breaking records of the 42-kilometer distance for both the men's and women's categories. The current records are held by Japanese runner Saeki Makino at two hours, 33 minutes and 15 seconds in the men's category and by Vietnamese runner Pham Thi Hong Le at three hours and 48 seconds in the women's category. Both records were set at last year’s event.
Addressing a press conference this morning, January 16, Bady Pham, managing director of Pulse Active, the event’s organizer, said with careful preparation and innovation, the Salonpas HCMC Marathon 2021 will help people who love running get over their limitations and have a memorable marathon experience.
As one of the biggest marathon events in Vietnam, the HCMC Marathon has attracted more than 17,000 runners since 2013. The event is expected to attract more international athletes to HCMC, so that it can become an exciting sporting destination in Vietnam and Asia.
