‘Save Turtles Run’ draws international runners to Ho Chi Minh City’s Con Dao

The event, titled 'Save Turtles Run,' took place on Sunday morning, guiding runners through breathtaking routes past historic sites, tree-lined heritage roads, and turquoise beaches that showcase the natural beauty of Con Dao Island.

Combining community sports with responsible tourism, the race supported efforts to conserve the island's sea turtle ecosystem.

In its fourth edition, the event attracted strong interest from both domestic and international visitors.

For the first time, it introduced a 21-kilometer semi-professional distance, alongside the familiar five-kilometer and 10-kilometer categories.

Runners set off at dawn, immersing themselves in Con Dao's unspoiled landscape as the first rays of sunlight rose over the sea.

Among them was Kento from Japan, who said his love for the island and its conservation message brought him back for the second year.

Having won the 10km race last year, he claimed first place again this year in the 21km category.

Le Thi Ngoc Cuong, a representative of the organizing committee, said the run was meant to raise public awareness of the importance of the Con Dao sea turtle conservation program.

The event contributed VND100 million (US$3,800) to Con Dao National Park to support turtle conservation efforts, she added.

Located off the coast of southern Vietnam, Con Dao is among the country's few remaining places where sea turtles still return to nest naturally each year.

During the nesting season, hundreds of green turtles come ashore to lay eggs on sandy beaches, supported by calm seas, soft lighting, and a relatively undisturbed environment.

According to the Con Dao National Park management, the number of turtle eggs laid in 2025 has increased 1.5 times compared with last year, thanks to favorable weather conditions and effective conservation measures.

This year's race highlighted the turtle's life cycle on the runners' jerseys, illustrating the journey from egg to hatchling, to adulthood, and the return to the birthplace.

With a survival rate of less than one in a thousand, the turtle's struggle underscores both the fragility of nature and the urgency of conservation.

Over the past year, sea turtles from Philippine waters have traveled thousands of kilometers to nest on Con Dao — a rare phenomenon that reflects the island's enduring biological richness, preserved in only a few places worldwide.

Yet challenges remain, as plastic waste, illegal fishing, and tourism pressures continue to threaten natural nesting grounds.

Con Dao Island is located in the East Vietnam Sea, about 97 nautical miles (some 180 kilometers) from the coast of Vung Tau Ward, also a part of Ho Chi Minh City.