A storm of controversy was raised recently among the running community in Vietnam concerning Doan Ngoc Hai, a former official in Ho Chi Minh City, who had sought authorities’ nod to prevent a local runner from hosting his solo cross-country run scheduled for April this year.

Hai, former vice-chairman of the administration of District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City and a famed amateur in the local running community, expressed his opinion on the solo ultramarathon race in a Facebook post uploaded early last week.

In the post, Hai proposed that Khuat Viet Hung, vice-chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, work with the authorities of provinces and cities through which Long would run to put a stop to the runner’s forthcoming solo cross-country run.

The cross-country run, which he claims has not been licensed by authorities, would violate traffic rules and could pose traffic safety risks, Hai elaborated on why he was seeking a ban on this solo race.

Authorities confirmed that they had yet to receive any official written document over the issue from Hai, who only floated the ban via his Facebook post.

Subsequently, Nguyen Van Long responded that he wanted to inspire the community with his passion for running and doing good deeds through the upcoming cross-country run.

Long pledged to follow traffic rules and ensure his own safety and road users’.

In 2022, Long was recognized as the first Vietnamese to finish a 2,656-km cross-country run from northern Quang Ninh Province to southern Ca Mau Province in 34 days.

Commenting on the ban suggested by Hai, Nguyen Manh Hung, secretary general of the Vietnam Athletics Federation, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday last week that the organizer of a running race must ask for permission from local authorities if they want to host the event there, as per prevailing regulations.

If Long wanted to run a solo ultramarathon, he would not need to seek authorities’ permission, Hung said.

“It’s his own right to run wherever he likes, as long as he complies with the law," Hung added.

“But if Long or someone else organizes a large-scale race gathering a host of participants, it will be a different story.”

Meanwhile, solo runners who would like to run a marathon along national highways must make sure that their safety and other road users’ are guaranteed, a representative of the Department for Roads of Vietnam told Tuoi Tre.

Races considered as legitimately organized must be approved by road traffic management authorities before taking place to ensure public traffic safety.

Currently, there is no legal framework for solo running races on public roads. Hence, a solo runner running on the roadside is similar to a pedestrian who must adhere to the law on road traffic.

If runners run in groups to compete with each other and encroach on the roadway, they and other road users could be put in dangerous situations.

The Department for Roads of Vietnam representative advised people to opt for parks or internal roads for jogging or running to ensure their safety, instead of running on highways where the potential for high traffic volume and elevated speeds poses a significant risk.

Amid a rising number of unlicensed races involving running clubs on national highways, the department is working with local transport authorities to introduce traffic safety measures to cope with the issue, the representative revealed.

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