Lately, young Vietnamese people have taken to the trend of ultra-running, which has recently swept across Europe.
Running to see the country
Describing the appeal of this pass time, one student of the Foreign Trade University in HCM City, said, "I just came across the sport on the internet one day. I found it interesting, so I started a group."
Another student said that it is a cheap and interesting new way of travel, which can be done on a regular basis. He added that the groups that travel together have a chance to learn about culture and can travel as far as 100 kilometres.
Before each excursion, members of the group scout their route, carefully planning an itinerary. "Usually we start to walk after running for around 5km. After that, we intersperse 15-30-minute rests after each 10km so that no one will be too tired when we reach the destination point," Hoan said.
Many young people see this activity as a way to stay in shape and experience the country. Recently, several active members of groups have joined charity work with ultra-running, convincing donors to sponsor each kilometre with charity funds.
Nguyen Gia Minh, a member of VietRunners&Friend Club, said that their club was able to donate VND7 million (USD333) to VND10 million each month.
