Runners arrive at the race-kit distribution area in Hoa Lu Stadium in the center of downtown District 1, to pick up their kit bags and bibs.
In the morning, more than 2,000 Bibs were handed to runners, mostly from Ho Chi Minh City.
A runner shows his QR code sent to his email to be scanned by the organizers. He received his bib in 5 minutes.
"I participated in many marathon races, but VnExpress Marathon has the quickest bib pick-up process," Minh, a runner from Thu Duc City, said.
Phi Long from District 5 checks some of nearly 200 kit bags that he and his two colleagues from a dental clinic came to pick up. They put the race kits into 10 cartons, and transported them to the company by car.
Long said his company registered for the race to promote solidarity and health. "This is the first time I run at night, and I could not imagine what the race scene would be like."
Tran Van, 67, from Thu Duc City, is one of the oldest runners at the tournament. "I join the race for fun. The more my health and physique improve, the more I enjoy running. I'll keep running as long as I can," he said.
Van has conquered 21km distance in several tournaments.
Tran Hoanh put the race shirt on as soon as he received it.
The 42km runner said he was surprised at the race-kit bag full of items. "The massage rollers and LED running lights will help long-distance runners a lot."
The race-kit bags include a roller, an LED light, a Bib belt, a can of chicken breast, milk boxes, energy bars, sunscreen, and lotion.
The bib distribution will last until 4 p.m. Saturday. After receiving bibs, runners can visit sponsors' booths offering many gifts and minigames.
Full-marathon runners will start at midnight, 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer runners at 0:30 a.m., and half-marathon runners at 1:15 a.m. There are nearly 130 prizes worth more than VND1 billion awaiting runners.
The tournament will take runners through central roads and new urban areas to discover the beauty of HCMC at night.
