52 running clubs enter Team Award at VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2023

The Team Award at VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2023, to be held Nov. 26, has expanded in quantity and quality, with many new clubs appearing for the first time.

Clubs that achieved high rankings last season also upgraded their squads, adding many high-performance runners capable of a sub-3-hour marathon.

The number of runners in the team racing group has reached 1,300. It is forecast that there will be fierce competition, upholding the spirit of the running community.

According to the latest updated list from organizers, the northern region has 38 participating teams.

New club names appearing include Thai Binh Runners, EVN Hanoi & Friend, Dang Xa Runners, Thanh Tri Runners, Cam Pha Runners, Van Quan Runners, Bac Ninh Run, Duong Runners, Soc Son Running Team, My Dinh Runners, An Khanh Runners, Northern Alliance, 4AM Runners, and Vinhome Ocean Park Runners.

In the central region, Thanh Hoa Runners will participate for the first time. They are expected to create surprises because of the systematic investment in recruiting personnel and training plans. They aim to have a spot in the top 10.

Quang Binh Runners at VM Hanoi Midnight 2022. Photo courtesy of VM

The 50 best runners of Quang Binh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien - Hue gathered into the group Binh Tri Thien Runners, also hope to reach the top 10. This is the first time they have joined in a group for an official race.

"Last year, we joined under the name Quang Binh Runners but did not get the desired results. The new alliance is stronger, worth waiting for, and is the pride of the three provinces," said Nguyen Thi Nhu Quynh, chairman of Quang Binh Runners.

Returning to the VM Hanoi night run for the second time, Ha Tinh Runners continue to impress with four competing squads. Not standing alone, they have cooperated with Goya - a club in Ha Tinh province, aiming to create a championship team.

In the southern region, Toc Sport - Van Phuc Runners is a new team, attending the tournament for the first time. This group has gathered many prominent names, with a clear training plan for members in each stage, promising to create surprises.

The two remaining representatives of the south are Binh Duong Running Club (BDRC) & T-Coaching and Ultrain, who were the winners and runners-up last season, and are determined to come top this time around.

The BDRC alliance and T-Coaching have added several sub-3 runners to the lineup.

"We want to improve the overall performance from 47 hours 4 minutes to 46 hours," said Huynh Thai Loc, the club's president.

As the defending champion, the BDRC alliance will join at VM Hanoi Midnight 2023. Photo courtesy of VM

The VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2023 will see many running groups belonging to businesses organizations, gathering members from all parts of the country such as Viettel Runners, FPT Runners, Liverpool Vietnam Runners, Vietcombank Running Club.

Most new teams set high goals in the Hanoi 2023 night run. Some groups like My Dinh Runners, and Ho Lon Team also have foreign runners with great achievements.

All teams are putting in strong preparation, and it is difficult to predict which club will win.

The Team Award is a "specialty" of the VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight. In 2022, for the first time, it attracted 36 groups.

Each team needs to have 20 official members and five reserves. Among the official members, 10 must be registered for the 21 km distance with at least four women and 10 for the 42 km distance with at least two women.

Each person can only participate in one team, one distance, and must have registered for a bib from January 31 to February 28. Athletes from the groups will still compete in the individual tournament as usual.

The Team Award is only open to amateur runners.

On the day of the competition, the team members must complete a valid race according to the tournament rules. If a team member violates the tournament rules, such as by receiving support from outside, taking a shortcut, not following the track; not passing the chip mat; not complying with settlement regulations, not starting correctly, or running beyond the specified time, the team achievements will be dismissed.

Like the previous year, the team's rankings are based on the total running time of all members.