Implementing the Prime Minister’s Directive on social distancing and “stay at home” campaign for Covid-19 prevention and control, to help runners maintain their performance through the epidemic, and especially to encourage and honor doctors and helath workers – the “Angels in Blouses” who are working day and night to fight against Covid-19 at more than 20 frontline hospitals across the country – VPBank Hanoi Marathon ASEAN 2020 and 84RACE was, for the first time in history, held online with the title of “Marathon at home – Supporting the Angels in Blouses in the Fight against Covid-19”.
Organized by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and Duc Huong Anh Co., Ltd., the tournament took place from April 8 to April 22, 2020. The tournament titled “Marathon at home – Supporting the Angels in Blouses in the Fight against Covid-19” held online for the first time has attracted many veteran athletes in Vietnam.
On April 29, after a week of ending of the tournament, the organizer of VPBank Hanoi Marathon ASEAN 2020 officially announced the winner and disclosed the donation amount of VND 109 million. According to the organizer, all this money will be sent to the doctors and health workers of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases – the front line hospital in the battle against Covid-19.
Regarding results of the tournament: In the men’s 42km event, former Vietnamese national athlete team member Ha Van Nhat won the first prize after completing 42,195 km at home in 2 hours, 56 minutes and 2 seconds; in the men’s 21 km event, the first prize went to a national athlete team member Le Trung Duc.
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In the women’s 21km event, national athlete team member Pham Thi Hong Le won the first prize for running over 52 laps around the Nhon central training stadium in 1 hour, 17 minutes and 52 seconds, equivalent to an average speed of 3 minutes and 36 seconds per lap. That was also a personal record for Hong Le in the semi-marathon event. In the women’s 10 km event, SEA Games 30 record breaker Nguyen Thi Oanh won the first prize for completing a virtual run at the Nhon central training stadium in just 35 minutes.
Previously, in order to join hands with the people in the “Stay at home” campaign in the fight against the epidemic, VPBank Hanoi Marathon ASEAN 2020 was decided to be held online in an effort to support the “Angels in Blouses” against Covid-19. It was even more meaningful when each runner donated VND 500,000 for the campaign. All this money will be sent to the frontline hospitals for treatment of Covid-19 patients across the country to help doctors and health workers fight against the epidemic.
Although being a virtual run, the tournament had all the events found at a regular tournament in which each contestant completes the event of their choice in one run (5km, 10km, 21km, and 42km) right at home or in areas around their homes for the set duration, in line with the slogan “Stay at home “.
M.T