The steps of patriotism

A few days ago in the Hoai Duc and Dan Phuong areas ( Hanoi ), more than 100 amateur athletes joined together to create a meaningful running event. With the footsteps of patriotism and national pride, all "drew" the map of Vietnam - including the two archipelagos of Hoang Sa and Truong Sa - with a total length of 30.4km.

Throughout the journey, the runners in red shirts with yellow stars and the national flag in hand, ran and sang heroic revolutionary songs.

The "red river" carrying patriotism "flowed" through the colorful flower village, the green fields, the traditional craft villages and the residential areas covered with flags during the historic April days. All of this stirred up the atmosphere, created a real festival and brought excitement to the people along the route that created the map of the country.

Runner Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet and other runners on the journey to draw the national flag.

"I have cherished this idea for a long time. However, I chose the time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country to do it," Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, the initiator of the event to draw the shape of the Fatherland with feet and patriotism, shared with Tien Phong newspaper reporters, "To have a complete map, I spent a lot of time and effort to research and survey, ensuring both accuracy and matching the number 30.4km, symbolizing April 30."

For many people, especially runners in their 50s like Ms. Tuyet, the 30.4km distance is a big challenge. However, all 100 athletes completed every step.

"There were times when I, like many other runners, felt exhausted, but no one gave up," she said. "We told ourselves that every step was a source of pride, and this was like recreating the footsteps of our ancestors who split the Truong Son mountain range to unify the country. Then we sang, joining the people on the roadside, the song 'as if Uncle Ho was there on the day of great victory', to give our legs more strength. In the end, everyone reached the finish line in an outburst, mixed with pride for having conquered themselves."

"Drawing the shape of the country with our own love and feet, this is a special moment that I and every runner will carry with us for the rest of our lives," said Ms. Tuyet.

Born in 1981, Ms. Tuyet is a familiar runner in the Vietnamese running community. Nicknamed “The Old Lady”, she is known as a strong inspiration with a persistent, passionate “wandering” spirit and constantly connecting hearts that love running across Vietnam.

At the Tien Phong Marathon 2025 in Quang Tri at the end of March, "The Old Lady" joined the Running 365 community to organize a train to take more than 300 athletes from Hanoi to Dong Ha. On that train, she and everyone else also organized a solemn flag-raising ceremony at the same time as the Flag Raising Ceremony took place at the Hien Luong Ben Hai River.

"We all regret not being able to attend the Flag Raising Ceremony, an event that is always anticipated when coming to Tien Phong Marathon. So we told each other to perform the flag raising ceremony and sing the National Anthem right on the train. This is truly an unforgettable moment for each of us," Ms. Tuyet, who later finished second in the 10km women's amateur race, emotionally shared.

Runner Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet was second in the women's 10km amateur category at Tien Phong Marathon 2025.

"For me, running is not only to exercise, but also a great way to show patriotism," said the runner born in 1981. "I have participated in many international races, but I still like running in my homeland the most. That is also the reason why I have never missed a Tien Phong Marathon since I started running.

I feel in tune with the tournament, when the running steps are also about love for the country and national pride. It was also running under the national flag at the Tien Phong newspaper races that inspired me to come up with the idea of drawing a map of the country with the enthusiastic running steps of the runners."

The effort to create and organize emotional running events such as the journey to draw a map of Vietnam has contributed to beautifying the image of the running movement, while also conveying a meaningful message about the combination of passion and patriotism. For Ms. Tuyet, today's 30.4 km is not only a journey of endurance, but also a journey of faith, connection and endless pride in Vietnam.

Thanh Hai

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nhung-buoc-chay-cua-tinh-yeu-nuoc-post1738327.tpo