The administration of Dong Thap Province, located in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region, held the opening ceremony of the Dat Sen Hong (The Land of Pink Lotus) Marathon in the provincial capital city of Cao Lanh on Saturday evening, with the participation of over 6,000 runners.

These participants included 1,000 children and 15 international athletes from 14 countries and territories.

This marks the second edition of this running event, which met international standards recognized by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

The tournament officially started on Sunday morning, offering 5km, 10km, 21km, and 42km races to both professional and amateur runners.

The participating runners can use the results of this tournament to register for prestigious running events in the world, such as the World Six Majors, which are the annual races that take place in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City.

On Saturday afternoon, races designated for kids as part of the tournament were complete.

Nguyen Phuoc Thien, vice-chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, said this important annual running event will enable Dong Thap to promote its beauty with vast lotus fields, hospitable people, and attractive destinations to visitors.

“We hope all participants will enjoy their time in Dong Thap by visiting tourist attractions, sampling local dishes of this lotus-dominant land, as well as shopping for One Commune One Product items and handicraft products.

“We’d love to hear your feedback in order to make the running event better in terms of quality and quantity."

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