Husband Carries Wife in Race at Can Gio: When the Running Track Becomes a Community Stage

Last Sunday morning, on the coastal track of Can Gio, laughter drowned out the sound of sea wind. Thirty-four-year-old Xuân Thêm lifted his wife onto his back and charged down the 200-meter course. Twenty-nine-year-old Thùy Linh clung to her husband's shoulders as hundreds of spectators cheered. The young couple from An Sương Runners crossed the finish line in just over three minutes — slower than their usual running pace, but fast enough to claim their fifth consecutive victory in the wife-carrying race held alongside the HDBank Green Marathon. This year's event drew hundreds of amateur runners, most from running clubs in Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces. Beyond the main 42 km marathon, the organizers added children's running events — 1.5 km and 3 km races — to attract family participation. This diversity transformed the race into a sports-entertainment hybrid where the boundary between competition and experience barely exists. When Running Becomes Familiar to Vietnamese People The concept of marathon running was once alien to the Vietnamese masses just over a decade ago. Now, amateur marathons are sprouting across the country, from Hanoi to Da Nang, from Ho Chi Minh City to rural areas like Can Gio. This explosion reflects a broader trend: Vietnamese people are gradually viewing running not merely as exercise, but as a means of community connection and a lifestyle affirmation. According to organizers, registration for amateur marathons in Vietnam has grown an average of 20% annually during 2026-2026. Particularly after COVID-19, running gained further momentum as people sought outdoor exercise habits. These races are no longer just arenas for professional athletes; they have become gathering points for all ages, professions, and backgrounds. Can Gio — a coastal district on the Saigon River estuary, about 50 km from Ho Chi Minh City center — is not new to runners. Its flat terrain, cool sea breeze, and natural scenery create an ideal space for training and competition. Bringing the HDBank Green Marathon here not only leverages geographical advantages but also sends a message about green living, close to nature. The Wife-Carrying Race: From Northern Europe to Can Gio Track The origins of wife-carrying (eukonkanto) can be traced to Northern European countries, particularly Finland, where the sport is officially organized over a 253.5-meter course. At elite levels, athletes complete this distance in about 60 seconds, averaging nearly 4 meters per second. However, in Can Gio, the race was designed with a shorter distance and significantly slower pace — the winning couple needed over three minutes to cover 200 meters. This difference isn't about weakness; it reflects the fundamentally different nature of the two formats. When a man carries an additional 40-50 kg on his back, his running form necessarily changes: shorter strides, bent knees, torso leaning forward for balance. Movement speed drops to about 1.1 meters per second — closer to a fast walk than a sprint. This pace suits the goal of a community event: everyone participates, everyone has fun, no one gets left behind. After the race, Xuân Thêm shared that he participated not to break records, but because it's an enjoyable activity that brings the community together. That statement explains much. The wife-carrying race at Can Gio doesn't exist to find the fastest or strongest; it exists to create a moment of sharing, where strangers can laugh together, cheer together, and complete a small challenge together. This quality makes it an effective communication tool for sponsors — a bank wanting to affirm a friendly, community-oriented image. An Sương Runners: A Club of Passionate Runners A detail often overlooked in event coverage is that both winning athletes belong to An Sương Runners. This isn't a professional team with coaches, sports scientists, or scientific nutrition programs. An Sương Runners is a community running group where running enthusiasts organize their own training sessions, share experiences, and participate in races together. The presence of clubs like An Sương Runners shows that Vietnam's amateur running ecosystem is gradually maturing. Instead of running alone, more people are joining groups for motivation, guidance, and social interaction. This social structure plays an important role in maintaining long-term exercise habits — according to sports behavior research, group participants have significantly lower dropout rates than solo exercisers. Another notable detail: both Xuân Thêm and Thùy Linh registered for the 42 km marathon the following day. This decision indicates they are experienced athletes accustomed to consecutive days of running. For beginners, carrying an additional 40-50 kg and then running a marathon the next day would be overexertion. But for those with a solid fitness foundation, this is an opportunity to participate in multiple activities within the same event. September in Can Gio: Weather Challenges September in southern Vietnam brings characteristic tropical heat and humidity. Daytime temperatures typically range from 30-35°C, with humidity potentially exceeding 80%. Under these conditions, running — whether 200 meters carrying a wife or 42 km — poses certain physical and health challenges. For the wife-carrying race, the additional 40-50 kg load combined with high temperatures creates elevated physical stress. The lower back and knees are the most stressed areas in this type of activity. Amateur marathon organizers typically implement risk mitigation measures such as water stations, rest points, and medical teams along the course. However, for the wife-carrying event — which has no mandatory technical standards — health checks before participation largely depend on individual awareness. A memorable image from this year's race was a young child crying during the 1.5 km run, with pacers having to help the child complete the course. The presence of pacers shows the organizers prepared for children's safety. However, this is also a reminder that amateur running events, despite their high recreational value, still require attention to different participant groups. Sports Events as Brand-Building Tools HDBank — a Vietnamese joint-stock commercial bank — chose marathon as the platform for its corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign. This model isn't new globally: banks, insurance companies, sports brands, and food brands have long used mass sports events to reach customers in positive, healthy contexts. The advantage of marathon over traditional advertising lies in its experiential nature. Participants don't just see the brand on banners or screens; they live within the brand's space for hours. They wear uniforms with sponsor logos, receive drinks at brand-named stations, and share images on social media with event hashtags. Each small action creates an extensive reach network, far beyond the event's geographical scope. The wife-carrying race, with its entertainment value and viral potential on social media, is particularly suited to this goal. Images of men carrying wives on the track are both humorous and touching, easily becoming widely shared content. A beautiful photo or joyful moment can generate more media value than a paid advertisement. Children's Running: Planting Seeds for the Future Beyond the adult wife-carrying race, the HDBank Green Marathon also organized separate running distances for children: 1.5 km and 3 km. These aren't fierce competitions but playgrounds where children can familiarize themselves with sports movement, learn to set goals, and overcome personal challenges. The presence of children's running events is a positive signal for Vietnam's sports market overall. In developed countries, children's early participation in mass sports is considered an important foundation for comprehensive physical development and lifelong exercise habits. When a child completes their first 3 km run, they don't just achieve a result — they learn lessons about patience, effort, and self-confidence. From a market perspective, children's running events also create a long-term value chain. Today's children are tomorrow's sports consumers. When they grow up with fond memories of their first running events, they're likely to continue participating in sports activities, becoming potential customers for sports brands, gyms, fitness apps, and related services. Can Gio Is More Than a Weekend Destination If one only looks at the numbers — 200 meters in just over three minutes, an amateur race, a wife-carrying contest — it's easy to dismiss the event's value. But the real picture is much broader. This year's Can Gio was where hundreds of families gathered, where children first experienced the joy of movement, where young people found their community through running passion. The HDBank Green Marathon isn't a top-tier athletic event. It has no Olympic athletes, no national records, no debates about tactics or form. But it has something more valuable: it has people, connection, and joy. And in a country where mass sports are gradually developing, events like this are the foundation for a sustainable sports culture. Five consecutive years of the wife-carrying race isn't accidental. It's the result of organizers understanding that sports events need not only impressive numbers but also touching stories. And the most beautiful story at Can Gio this year wasn't the finishing time, but the moment a husband carried his wife across the finish line, hands clapping and cheering with the crowd, against the backdrop of sea waves and morning sunlight. The track remembers not only victories but also moments when people held hands to transcend their limits. That is the true value of amateur running events — not in achievements, but in the moment when we choose to step off the couch, put on our shoes, and go outside to live. Things to Watch in Coming Seasons The Can Gio event raises several notable questions for future seasons. First, will registration numbers for the main marathon continue to grow — this reflects the appeal of Vietnam's amateur running market. Second, will organizers maintain or modify the wife-carrying race format — if unchanged, it signals long-term commitment to the current model. Third, will children's race participation increase steadily — this indicates whether the long-term grassroots development strategy is working. Regarding safety, sports experts recommend that amateur marathon organizers need clearer regulations on pre-participation health checks, especially for high-load activities like wife-carrying. Carrying an additional 40-50 kg in hot, sunny conditions poses certain risks to the spine and knee joints, and participants need full information before deciding. Overall, the HDBank Green Marathon in Can Gio is a typical example of the sports-entertainment event model in Vietnam. It doesn't compete with professional events, nor does it need to. Its value lies elsewhere — in providing a meaningful weekend morning for hundreds of families, in creating a playground where everyone can participate, and in planting in young hearts the belief that exercise is a good thing worth nurturing. Perhaps that's the most proud achievement of an amateur running event — not the number of medals, but the number of people who step out of their homes and start running.