More than 350,000 runners from all over Vietnam and 10 countries have run approximately 5 million km in just 24 days of UpRace 2022. This event brought in 5.4 billion community and will be donated to 2 companion social organizations. UpRace brings not only limited numbers but also happiness, inspiration and strong motivation to all participants.

UpRace and the 5-year journey of connecting sports with meaningful community responsibility - Photo 1.

Ha Tinh Runners Club finished first (club group) with 166.478 km - Photo: VGP/HM

A community that loves sports and is ready to empathize

Started from an internal activity of VNG in 2017, the new volunteer sport model brought by UpRace has effectively connected runners, businesses and social partners.

In 2018, UpRace had 32,000 participants. In 2020, UpRace exploded with nearly 115,000 people. This number doubles in 2021 and by 2022, 350,981 people have run with UpRace, an increase of more than 11 times in just 5 years.

Why does UpRace do it?

UpRace's participation mechanism is not simply slogans calling for running for the community. UpRace also does not focus on calling for individuals to use money to donate. What UpRace wants to spread is that through practicing a healthy lifestyle and increasing movement (which is essential in today's busy modern life), runners can create values ​​at the same time, even small, to contribute to society.

The limitations of geography, time, route planning, capacity to organize large-scale races have all been solved through the UpRace platform. Stretching across the S-shaped piece of land is the footprint of the running community. Even when the Central region faced difficulties because of big storms and floods, the "runners" there were still a very passionate team, as a result, the Ha Tinh Runner Club and the Binh Tri Thien Runners Club both excelled in the top 1 and Top 2 club rankings.

2022 also marks the first time that UpRace has organized a series of running events at a number of universities across the country (Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Academy of Posts and Telecommunications, Ton Duc Thang University, University of Science and Technology). Ho Chi Minh City Polytechnic University, University of Natural Sciences-Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), attracting nearly 2,000 students to participate. The event not only helps future generations of the country practice active living habits but also learn to share with the community's difficulties.

UpRace and the 5-year journey of connecting sports with meaningful community responsibility - Photo 2.

VNG employees are excited to participate in the offline running day organized by the company to respond to UpRace 2022 - Photo: VGP/HM

Employees contribute to the implementation of social responsibility with the enterprise

UpRace also helps many businesses to solve the problem of optimizing cost and human resources to accomplish two goals at the same time: Connecting employees through internal sports activities and showing interest. with issues in society through a new form of donation.

Using UpRace's own technology platform, businesses can create running contests for employees with attractive game rules, ensuring attract a large number of participants and thereby, enhancing the attachment of employees. departments. Regular exercise also directly releases negative energy from employees and contributes to building a healthy, balanced working environment.

From the number of kilometers completed by employees, businesses commit to sponsoring at least 1 km = 1,000 VND, this amount is authorized for UpRace fund to contribute to social partners.

During 5 years of implementation, more than 16.5 million km of running has been completed and more than 25 billion VND has been donated to social partners. In 2021 alone, more than 5 million km of jogging from runners in 22 days has created funds to train 350 health workers, provide nearly 3,500 equipments to help reduce infant mortality, and surgery. performed on 122 pediatric patients with cleft palate, planted 20,563 trees in 4 big cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue and Da Nang.

UpRace and the 5-year journey of connecting sports with meaningful community responsibility - Photo 3.

Forest rangers, employees of Cat Tien National Park excitedly jogging for wildlife - Photo: VGP/HM

 Every kilometer runs write new journeys

Along the way, UpRace has accompanied many prestigious and influential social partners such as: Newborns Vietnam, Operation Smile Vietnam, GreenViet, Vietseed, Saigon Children Charity, Association for the Protection of Orphans and People Vietnam with disabilities, Vietnam Wildlife Conservation Center. The contributions of individuals and businesses are not only limited to material things, but also bring joy and new opportunities to difficult circumstances.

"The UpRace model has created conditions for everyone to participate, regardless of starting point, age, gender, everyone has the opportunity to contribute to the community. We plan to allocate resources. Funding money received from the project to create livelihoods for 100 people with disabilities and awarded scholarships and bicycles to 500 orphans and disabled students to go to school", said Mr. Nguyen Trong Dam, former Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. , Chairman of Vietnam Association for the Protection of Orphans and People with Disabilities shared.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thai, Director of the Center for Wildlife Conservation in Vietnam also said , every step of the run is like every breakfast, although small but meaningful: "We believe that, through UpRace, we not only know how to live healthy for themselves, but also care and do many useful things for society."

Ms. Tran Xuan Ngoc Thao, VNG Communications Director, representative of UpRace project emphasized: "The 5 seasons of UpRace have brought us a lot of pride and happiness. Proud to be an application and running event The ministry has been trusted and accompanied by a large number of communities during the past time and is happy with the values ​​that together bring to social organizations."

In addition to the commitment to spend resources to continue investing in the platform and maintaining the annual event, VNG hopes to gradually bring UpRace to become a product that bears the mark of the community more and more clearly.