The measurement of VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight route took place on the morning of January 7, starting from Truong Dinh Street in front of Tao Dan Park.
Kim drove a bicycle along routes of four distances (5, 10, 21 and 42km), passing by downtown streets Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Le Duan, Dong Khoi, and Ton Duc Thang.
The calibrated bicycle method was applied to measure the race courses, which ensures accuracy and has been officially accepted by AIMS since January 1, 2004.
After half an hour measuring the routes, Kim turned into Nguyen Hue pedestrian street and stopped in front of the headquarters of the People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City to record measurement data.
The weather was cool, favorable for the measurement process.
Kim noted several important parameters, and then he will discuss with the organizers to optimize the running route.
"I am impressed with the VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight's roads which are very wide, flat and of good quality. This will help runners to easily set their personal records," the expert said.
Kim said he was also impressed with the bustling atmostphere of Ho Chi Minh City. "The city is full of energy. I've run through the most famous destinations, and even explore some obscure spots," he shared.
Runners of all four distances will run through a series of iconic buildings of the city such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Opera House.
After more than an hour measuring the route, Kim arrived at the 1.5-km-long Ba Son bridge (formly known as Thu Thiem 2), a new symbol of Ho Chi Minh City.
Runners of 10, 21 and 42km distances will cross Ba Son bridge to reach Thu Thiem peninsula, and a few smaller bridges.
Kim expected the view of the city center from the bridges would excite runners.
Runners will have the opportunity to run on new, spacious routes with a clear view of Thu Thiem new urban area, Sala urban area, Diamond Island, then cross Thu Thiem bridge, turn toward Nguyen Huu Canh, and continue to the finish line in front of the Botanical Garden.
"The Thu Thiem bridge at kilometer 39 is the biggest challenge. 42km runners should save their strength for this," Kim said.
After measured, all four distances of VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight will be certified by AIMS. Runners can use their results of the tournament as part of the criteria to participate in the world's top marathons such as Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, London Marathon.
The VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight will be held on the night of February 11 and the early morning of February 12, with a scale of about 10,000 participants.
