The VnExpress Marathon Hue route has been praised for its beauty and ease of achieving PR (Percent Place) scores.

VnExpress•09/04/2024

Runners rated the VnExpress Marathon Hue 2024 course as the most beautiful in all the seasons held, flat and favorable for setting a new personal best.

The VnExpress Marathon Hue 2024 has completely revamped its race route, changing the starting and finishing points. This has been well-received by the running community, creating an exciting and fresh experience for the fourth edition.

One of the changes that the community appreciated was the relocation of the starting and finishing points for all distances to a single location on Le Duan Street, between Quang Duc Gate and Phu Van Lau. This is one of the widest, greenest, and most beautiful stretches of road in Hue city, with the Perfume River park on one side and the Citadel with its many ancient buildings on the other. Having the starting and finishing points at the same location makes it more convenient for runners to travel and book hotel rooms.

The 42km race, starting from Le Duan Street, will begin with a 5km exploration of the Imperial Citadel, passing through surrounding streets such as Yet Kieu, Doan Thi Diem, and Dinh Tien Hoang. Leaving the citadel, runners will cross Truong Tien Bridge and head towards Dap Da Bridge – two landmarks mentioned in Nguyen Binh's poem "Rainy Weather in Hue ." This is the first time the Hue Grand Prix has passed through this area. In its first season in 2020, the race went towards Thien Mu Pagoda. In 2022 and 2023, athletes passed through the Tu Do Square area.

The Đập Đá road connects the center of Hue City with Vỹ Dạ ward. From here, runners can admire the brightly lit Trường Tiền Bridge, with the Như Ý River on one side and Hến islet, also known as Vỹ Dạ village, in front. Following Lê Đức Anh road, athletes will head to the suburbs, racing on Võ Văn Kiệt road with rice fields and new urban areas on either side.

For the latter half of the race, 8,000 runners turned back towards the city center, running along Le Loi Street, beside the Perfume River. Before reaching the finish line, athletes had to cross the Da Vien Bridge over the Perfume River. Upon descending the bridge, runners turned right to proceed straight to the finish line. Many runners commented that the Da Vien Bridge at kilometer 41 was a physical challenge, requiring thorough preparation. After crossing the bridge, the final stretch would be easier, with about 1 kilometer of straight, flat, tree-lined road.

The 42km race route has been described as exciting by runners. Anh Duc Nguyen, a runner living in Hue, believes that the 8,000 runners will not be disappointed because the course is beautiful and picturesque. He also found the improvements and changes more appealing, as the first few kilometers pass through the imperial city instead of less prominent routes like Nguyen Van Linh. "Hue has a lush, tree-lined race course with ancient buildings everywhere. The city has a unique romantic charm. Runners will definitely not be disappointed with this course," Anh Duc commented.

Runners run on the Da Vien Bridge at VM Hue 2023. Photo: VM

The 21km route, with 80% of its length passing through the city center, was rated by runners as the most beautiful course. The entire course is similar to the 42km route but shortens the section on Vo Van Kiet road in the suburbs. Therefore, participants can mostly enjoy the green, refreshing stretches.

In the 10km race, runners will conquer the Truong Tien and Da Vien bridges, and explore the Hue Imperial City. The 5km race is the only distance that doesn't cross any bridges over the Perfume River. The 5km route is considered simple and easy, suitable for first-time runners who want to explore the ancient beauty of the Hue Imperial City.

Along with the new route, the VnExpress Marathon Hue has upgraded its facilities for runners. Along the race course, there is a system of 21 water stations providing filtered water, electrolytes, bananas, watermelons, ice, etc. The distance between each station is 1.5 - 2.5km. 51 doctors and nurses from the Thua Thien Hue 115 Emergency Center will ensure the health and safety of runners, stationed at 10 fixed medical stations and 6 mobile stations. Each station is equipped with medical supplies meeting the standards of an outpatient first aid room.

The VnExpress Marathon Hue, held on April 21st, attracted 8,000 athletes. The race course was measured and certified by the Vietnam Athletics Federation. Runners who completed the race received medals featuring designs inspired by the royal court. The VM Hue 2024 medal is considered one of the most beautiful publications from the VnExpress Marathon series in recent times.

Hoai Phuong

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