Opening Ceremony of the Ba Ria Newspaper Cross-Country Race

On the morning of August 26th, at the Revolutionary Tradition House, No. 1 Bacu Street, Ward 1, Vung Tau City, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, the opening ceremony of the 24th Ba Ria-Vung Tau Newspaper Cross-Country Race, 2023, took place.

The tournament, organized by the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Newspaper in coordination with the Department of Culture and Sports of Ba Ria-Vung Tau province, attracted more than 3,000 athletes.

*Leaders of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province presented flowers to offer congratulations.*

Approximately 1,000 athletes purchased BIBs (bib numbers printed for each participant in a race, with each person receiving a unique number), competing in the 21km and 10km races; and about 1,000 athletes competed in the 5km (men) and 3km (women) races. In addition, approximately 1,000 people participated in the accompanying run, including provincial leaders, department heads, local authorities, businesses, sponsors, students, members of the armed forces, and citizens. Notably, this year's event welcomed 32 delegations of leaders, reporters, and journalists from media outlets across the country. The Binh Thuan Newspaper delegation was led by Mr. Le Huy Toan – Editor-in-Chief.

*Delegates attending the opening ceremony.*

According to the Organizing Committee of the 24th Ba Ria-Vung Tau Newspaper Cross-Country Race, this year they decided to change and innovate many aspects to increase the attractiveness of the event. The biggest change is the sale of BIBs for the 21km and 10km half-marathon races. As a result, a large number of athletes from outside the Southeast region have registered to compete. Many athletes from Hanoi, the Central Highlands, the Southwest, and Central Vietnam have also registered to compete.

*A large number of athletes participated in the competition.*

Regarding the race route, all competition distances are concentrated along the coastal road of Tran Phu - Quang Trung - Ha Long - Thuy Van.

The total prize money for the 24th season reached 300 million VND, an increase of nearly 40% compared to last year, making the 24th Ba Ria - Vung Tau Newspaper Cross-Country Race one of the long-distance running races with the highest prize money in Vietnam.

The 24th Ba Ria-Vung Tau Newspaper Cross-Country Race also features many attractive and interesting side activities. The race includes appearances by the MC duo Nguyen Khang - Anh Thu; singers Quoc Dai, Sy Luan, the Nhat Nguyet group, the ART MIO group and DJ BNUTS…

The 24th Ba Ria - Vung Tau Newspaper Cross-Country Race is a regional-scale event, serving as preparation for athletes to participate in national-level cross-country races. Through this, it promotes the strong and comprehensive development of the sports and physical education movement in the provinces and cities of the Southeast region, both in breadth and depth.