Around 600 athletes have registered to compete in the open sea swimming competition – the Ly Son Cross Island – on June 2, with many using the event as a vacation opportunity.
An Binh islet, three miles away from Ly Son Island, is the location for an open swim race on June 2. (Photo: VNS/VNA)
Quang Nam (VNS/VNA) - Around 600 athletes have registered to competein the open sea swimming competition – the Ly Son Cross Island – on June 2,with many using the event as a vacation opportunity.
Chairwoman of the People’s Committee of Ly Son island district Pham Thi Huong saidthis is the second year in a row the race has been organised in the water offthe islands, boosting tourism.
She said swimmers will compete in 5km and age groups from eight to 14 indistance events of 1km, 2km and 5km.
Race organisers said the Island Cross 5km, which is open for all entrants, willstart from Arch Rock check-in to An Binh islet, while sprint 2km will seeathletes swimming from An Binh islet to main Ly Son island.
“The event aims to promote tourism and vacation opportunities for visitors inexploring the unique archaeological value of the islands – which is formed byancient volcanoes that existed more than 25 million years ago,” Huong said.
“Last year, the islands hosted 170,000 tourists, and it would see 180,000travellers this year. Tourism, garlic and scallion farms as well as thepristine natural landscape are major attractions to tourists in summer trips.”
Last year, the race featured 300 swimmers.
The unique culture, rich biodiversity and extinct volcanoes have been conservedin the water around Ly Son island, as it strives to become the first ‘zerocarbon’ islands in central Vietnam.
Ly Son Islands was connected to the national grid in 2014./.
VNA
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An Binh islet, three miles away from Ly Son Island, is the location for an open swim race on June 2. (Photo: VNS/VNA)