The "Vietnam I am - My Vietnam 2026" race will return on August 23 at the Vietnam Exhibition Center (Dong Anh, Hanoi), with an expected scale of about 15,000 athletes.
The event is part of a series of activities towards the 81st anniversary of National Day (September 2, 1945 - September 2, 2026).
In the 2nd season, the organizers positioned this not only as a mass race, but also as an activity combining sports, history and community messages. The competition track is designed to be closed with the starting point and destination both located at the Vietnam Exhibition Center.
The organizers also announced that coach and athlete Nguyen Van Lai will play the role of image ambassador. Possessing 6 SEA Games gold medals and many years of dominating the long-distance, 5,000m and 10,000m events, Nguyen Van Lai was chosen as a representative face for the message "Vietnamese spirit is strong". Currently, he is working as a coach at the army athletics team.
A noteworthy new point is that this year's tournament adds the Elite system with 200 slots for high-achieving athletes. Runners must meet entrance standards in the last 12 months, men's marathon under 3 hours 10 minutes and women's marathon under 3 hours 40 minutes.
Elite athletes will have a separate check-in area, priority starting position, post-competition recovery area and specialized uniforms.
According to the organizers, putting the Elite system into operation aims to improve professional quality and meet the development trend of the high-performance running movement in Vietnam.
In addition, the award also sets a goal to reduce waste in the organization process, through collection, sorting at water intake stations and coordinating the recycling of materials used in the event.
