>> First international mountain marathon draws to a close
The two-day event, co-organised by the Danish Embassy and Topas Ecolodge, offers runners four distance choices: 21km (half marathon), 42km (marathon) or 70km (ultramarathon) on the Saturday and a 10km Sapa mountain run the next day.
Each route will encompass challenging climbs, exhilarating descents and a true glimpse of local life through the rice fields and ethnic minority villages.
Among the participants are 50 from Vietnam and 10 from Denmark. Danish Ambassador to Vietnam, John Nielsen, an experienced marathon runner, will continue his participation in the 2014 race, along with other runners from Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong (China), South Africa and the US.
Danish pharmaceutical company, Novo Nordisk will sponsor and support the event, together with the Vietnamese Association of Diabetes & Endocrinology under the motto ‘Changing diabetes’, aiming to raise awareness of the fast growth of diabetes in Vietnam.
Vietnam was among the countries with the most rapid growth of diabetes in the world, Danish Ambassador John Nielsen said, adding that the disease seemed to be increasing among young Vietnamese people, the country’s future owners.
He stressed the need to drive them towards a healthier lifestyle to prevent diabetes growth, while expressing his hope that the race would contribute to highlighting the importance of improving access to healthcare service and treatment for diabetes patients in Vietnam.
The mountain marathon not only aims to promote Vietnam’s spectacular natural beauty and convey the message of a healthful lifestyle but also aims to help support local people in the Sapa mountain area, according to the ambassador.
Each runner joining the marathon will donate US$20 as part of their race entry fee to a local charity organisation named “Sapa O’Chau” that provides educational opportunities to young local minority residents in the Sapa region who have not finished school. Approximately US$4,000 was raised in last year’s event from nearly 200 participants.
