As early as 3:40 a.m., the elite runners of the race, participating in the 42 km category, began warming up at the starting line.
At exactly 4 a.m, hundreds of runners set off on their 42 km run from Nguyen Tat Thanh Monument.
The VM Quy Nhon kept contestants well hydrated with 23 water supply points along the course. Organizers arranged for plenty of water and thousands of cool pads. Five checkpoints had mist sprayers to help participants stay cool.
Thirty minutes after the 42 km participants began their race, hundreds of runners in the 21 km category set off from Tat Thanh Monument.
Around this time, the first 42 km runners had reached Thi Nai Bridge built across the sea, connecting the beach town of Quy Nhon with the Phuong Mai Peninsula. Watching the magnificent sunrise while running on the bridge was a bonus treat for participants in the 42 km and 21 km categories.
Around 80 minutes since they began running, the 42 km contestants had made it half way and could turn back and head for the finish line.
At 5:30 a.m, when the sun was already up, thousands of runners in the 5 km and 10 km categories set out on their respective races.
The runners at the VM Quy Nhon enjoyed great weather and support from many volunteers. According to the organizers, the temperature at 5:35 a.m. was 27 degrees Celsius with 89 percent humidity. The temperature was expected to hit 30 degrees Celsius by 7 a.m.
The first runner to breast the tape in the 21 km distance was Do Quoc Luat, who finished with a time of one hour, 12 minutes and 41 seconds, followed by Le Trung Duc three minutes later.
In 18 minutes, 15-year-old Nguyen Thai Nam was the first male finisher in the 5 km race.
SEA Games medalist Nguyen Thi Oanh was the first woman to finish the 21 km race. She had finished first at the VM Quy Nhon 2019 in the 10 km race.
Nguyen Trung Cuong, with the time of 34 minutes and 21 seconds, followed by Pham Ngoc Phan, just 13 seconds behind, were the first and second men to complete the 10 km race.
The VM Quy Nhon 2020 was ably supported by Binh Dinh Province’s medical personnel who aimed to guarantee safety for all runners. Besides the doctors, nurses and other medical staff, 100 well-trained volunteers from Binh Dinh Medical College also joined hands.
The runners were watched carefully, and if anyone looked tired or injured, the medical team stepped in.
At 6:32 a.m., Le Van Tuan breasted the tape to win the full 42 km run with a time of two hours, 33 minutes and seven seconds. He was followed by Hoang Nguyen Thanh a minute later.
Half an hour later, Hong Le became the first woman to finish the 42 km race with a time of three hours, three minutes and eight seconds.
In winning the event, she repeated her feat last year. About a minute later, she was followed by Hoang Thi Ngoc Hoa who is nearly one minute behind.
All contestants ran the race with the “Run with the sea and sun” spirit, enjoying the considerable natural charms of Quy Nhon, aided by comfortable weather. Many were all smiles for the cameras.
There was plenty of food and beverages on hand for the participants after they completed their run, including thousands of beer cans, sausages and peanuts.
This is the second time Quy Nhon hosts the event which was organized by VnExpress and Binh Dinh People's Committee.
VnExpress will also organize VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight on August 22 and VnExpress Marathon Hue on September 6.
