The testing of VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2022 course took place on the night of November 12 and early morning of November 13. The test group consists of nine pacers and runners, supported by 20 crew members.
At midnight, the group started from Dinh Tien Hoang Street, in front of the Hanoi Post Office, headed towards Cau Go, Hang Thung, Nguyen Huu Huan, Ngo Quyen, Hue, and Nguyen Du Streets.
The runners were impressed with the bustling night atmosphere without the noise of traffic horns. Hanoi was breezy and cool with temperature of about 22 degrees Celsius.
Under the guidance of the security team, the group ran past the Hoan Kiem Lake, the Statue of Death, the Opera House, Thong Nhat Park.
VM Hanoi Midnight is a rare opportunity to experience the unique beauty of the capital at midnight.
Dinh Linh will have the first midnight race in the capital on November 26. He participated in the test event to have the best preparation. He felt that the route was beautiful and fascinated by the familiarity.
"Although there are many turns, everything is quite clear and easy to remember. I have read and remembered almost the entire route," Linh said.
After more than an hour, the group reached the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area, before heading towards Thanh Nien Street, breathing in the atmosphere around the West Lake and the Truc Bach Lake at night. Pacer Nguyen Xuan Ha said that compared to 2020, this year's event has a clear track, the intersections are easier to follow, and there are more lights.
Some runners said that the road around the Truc Bach Lake is quite narrow and may affect the pace of runners on the race day, with a lot of people attending.
A slight slope on Pho Duc Chinh Street is an interesting challenge.
The last kilometers of the half marathon and full marathon gave the test group a lot of emotions as it took them through Hung Vuong, Phan Dinh Phung, Hoang Dieu streets and many historical sites.
After two hours of running, the 21km group finished at Hang Khay Street, the 42km group continued the second loop. At midnight, the roads are clear of traffic.
The 42km runners finished the race at about 3 a.m.
The route of VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2022 meets standards of the Association of International Marathon and Distance Races (AIMS). Runners can use the result from this marathon to apply for major world races such as the Boston Marathon, London Marathon, or Berlin Marathon.
Learn more about the tournament here.
