Unforgettable memories of the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run

Workers of Thang Long Garment Factory responded to the 11th Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run in 1984. Photo: Hanoi Moi Newspaper Documents.

In the days leading up to the finals of the 50th Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run for Peace , memories of the previous times of participating in the race came flooding back to the older people who had participated in the race. They may not have participated in the first race in 1974, but in the following races, they regularly participated in the “colors” of their workplace. Joy, enthusiasm, and honor were the things that remained from the time of participating in the race.

Mr. Vu Quoc Hung, former union officer of Thang Long Knitting Factory, is now 87 years old but still remembers clearly the times he participated in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run. The factory where he worked, in Hoan Kiem district before, was also one of the bright spots in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run movement.

Mr. Hung said that, before the Hanoi Moi Newspaper's standard run, when the sports management department of Hoan Kiem district informed them to prepare for the participation, the whole factory was excited and eager to prepare. At that time, the standard run was a group run, in blocks, and the number of runners depended on the number of troops in each unit. For example, Thang Long Knitting Factory always had about 40-50 people in the running team each season. The running route was usually around Hoan Kiem Lake, including the section passing through Hanoi Moi Newspaper. Participants not only had to ensure their health but also had to coordinate to run evenly, with clear shapes and blocks.

“Every time I join the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run and run around Hoan Kiem Lake, I am very happy. At that time, it is not only a matter of running correctly and steadily, but also having to worry about dressing beautifully,” said Mr. Vu Quoc Hung.

Mr. Vu Quoc Hung (standing row, far right) and the Thang Long Knitting Factory running team in the 15th Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run in 1988. Photo: Provided by the character.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vu Quoc Hung's younger sister, Ms. Vu Thi Linh, 81 years old, also participated in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run for many years in the "color" of the Dien Cong Textile Cooperative in the former Ba Dinh area. In Ms. Linh's memory, the Dien Cong Textile Cooperative participated in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run from the early 1980s until the early 1990s, when the Cooperative entered the equitization phase. At that time, the running route was from the Cooperative at 72 Thuy Khue to Vuon Hong (now in the National Assembly House area) in the form of a collective run.

Dien Cong Textile Cooperative is not too crowded but always maintains 30 to 40 participants. For the members of the Cooperative, each time they participate in the grassroots collective run at the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run is truly a festival. The athletes who participate are all excited and in fact, the name Hanoi Moi Newspaper has "permeated" into everyone without them knowing. Ms. Linh said that at that time, Mr. Mao - a member of the Ba Dinh area sports management unit often came to Dien Cong Textile Cooperative to encourage the unit to participate and also gave instructions on how to run to ensure the formation and team while still meeting the professional criteria. "Participating in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run always leaves beautiful memories for the members of Dien Cong Cooperative", Ms. Linh said while pointing to the time-worn souvenir photo of the Dien Cong Cooperative running team in front of the Lenin statue after a grassroots inspection run more than 30 years ago.

Ms. Vu Thi Linh (standing row, second from right) and the Dien Cong Textile Cooperative running team during a Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run. Photo: Provided by the character.

Even after their retirement, both Mr. Vu Quoc Hung and Mrs. Vu Thi Linh still participated in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run at the grassroots level in the residential area where they lived. In their family, generations of children and grandchildren have participated in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run, and even in this 50th Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run, their children and grandchildren still participate. As the two of them concluded, their family has up to 3 generations participating in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run. And in the case of both of them, siblings also participated in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run. Thinking back, they feel happy and proud! For them, the memories of the days participating in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run are always beautiful, marking a memorable time during their working process.

The case of both is also among many cases of 3-generation families or siblings in Hanoi participating in the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run. As commented by Head of Sports Management Department (Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports) Dao Quoc Thang, that is also a unique feature, clarifying the tradition, vitality and spread of the Hanoi Moi Newspaper Run, the most traditional sports tournament in the capital.