News Release: Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race Sets Race Date Dec 4, 2022

Running on the Western river basin heritage - Efforts to welcome the post-pandemic tourist inflow

Following the approval of the Can Tho People's Committee, the Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race has announced it has set the race date on Sunday, December 4, 2022.

Earlier, the marathon has secured a licence from the municipal authority for its organization to last 10 years, from 2021 to 2030.

By now, the organizational plan, professional work on the running track as well as measures to ensure the race safety have basically won approval from leaders of the city's departments and agencies, who have assigned functional units and the organizer, Duc Huong Anh Company Ltd. (DHA Vietnam) to further improve.

With the coordination of the Can Tho Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the professional direction of the Vietnam Athletics Federation, the Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race was first organized by DHA Vietnam in December 2019.

The tournament was more successful than expected as the debut race had attracted nearly 2,000 Vietnamese and foreign runners from 20 countries and territories.

Runners prepare to start at the Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race in 2019. (DHA Vietnam)

Having realized the meaning and importance of the marathon in promoting the Can Tho city image with its people and typical cultural features of the river basin in the southwestern region, the city leaders have decided to select the Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race as the iconic race for the city, held annually in the first week of December.

In the past two years, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the marathon could not be held. Now is the most suitable time to conduct a large-scale run, giving a start to the door opening phase and reviving tourism in Can Tho, the Mekong Delta in particular and Vietnam in general.

Vietnam has been highly proactive in adapting flexibly, seizing every opportunity to make a breakthrough, moving towards the goal of welcoming 5 million foreign visitors and serving about 60 million domestic travellers in 2022.

The Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race 2022 will be a boost for local tourism, attracting thousands of runners and relatives to participate, experiencing the natural beauty, cultural values, cuisine and people of the Western river basin in Vietnam's southern region.

Can Tho is not only the center of culture, education, health and economy of the Mekong Delta with more than 20 million people, but also one of the fastest growing localities in the country.

Coming to Can Tho means coming to both the heritages of the western region, the unique river heritages recognized internationally and also the new sights of a city that is changing day by day.

The pandemic has brought many negative factors, but it has also raised people's awareness of sports training and the development of the immune system.

After 2 years of the pandemic, domestic tourism is recovering at an unexpected rate, reaching 60 million visitors in the first half of the year. Marathons have simultaneously met the needs of travel and the needs of training and improving physical health.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh, DHA Vietnam CEO, said: “The Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race 2022 was chosen to be held in December because the weather at this time is cool, ideal for running and sightseeing, travel and discovery. Many surveys show that after the pandemic, the ‘taste’ of tourists has changed a lot; most would choose safe destinations, not too far away and towards nature. Can Tho, being the largest commercial, social, cultural, educational and touristic center in the Mekong Delta, is truly an ideal place to organize an experiential tourist race such as the Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race. The fact that thousands of runners signed up after the marathon had started to offer Bibs is a proof that the event is meeting the needs of visitors properly.”

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, General Secretary of the VAF, the professional unit that advises on the race, has inspected the running track marking. “The Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race 2019 had only 3 distances: 5 km, 10 km and 21 km. In the 2022 edition, the Organizing Committee has decided to add the 42-km distance. With the road running past the famous landscapes of the historical Tay Do land such as: Ninh Kieu Wharf, Cai Rang Floating Market, Hung Kings Temple, Vuon Man (Plum Garden) Base, Arc-shaped Road (Ring of Fire in the Tet Offensive 1968), Long Quang Co Tu… the Can Tho Marathon - A Heritage Race is expected to be an event that ‘zooms in the image of Can Tho’ and promotes the sports movement of the city's people.”

For the first time in the 2022 race, runners participating in the 42-km distance will have the opportunity to admire the Hung Kings Temple, a work with unique architecture, cultural and spiritual significance, promising to become a new destination in the Tay Do region in particular and the Mekong Delta in general.

The running routes are carefully considered with a clear orientation to highlight the tourism potential of Can Tho through the scenic spots that the track passes by. In particular, the 42-km distance of the race is designed without loops, but stretches on a long road, creating a golden opportunity to promote brands and products to visitors participating in the event.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONTACTS - DHA Vietnam Company

-Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh, Executive Director; Mobile: +84 90 343 2295

-Ms. Tran Dieu Hong, Communications Director; Mobile: +84 91 367 0989