Novelty finish line
At 3am on a “full autumn Hanoi” day, under the dim lights and quiet of the early morning streets, the pacer group started to warm up and discuss some technical issues at the starting area at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square.
The pacer team participating in the test run included 10 pacers for the 21km and 42km distances, accompanied by many runners from famous running clubs such as ANTA Running Club, Dong Anh Runners and VPRUN.
To have the most realistic and authentic experience on race day in terms of weather, traffic and physical conditions, the Organizing Committee (OC) has arranged the start time of the test run to coincide with the official 42km race time. The weather in Hanoi is relatively nice, with a chilly start, early sunshine but not too hot, ideal for the pacers to complete their goals.
Within the framework of the Hanoi Creative Design Festival 2024, this year's VPIM route opens a unique journey through the "creative intersection" - where Hanoi's quintessential heritages are preserved.
From the Children's Palace, the State Bank, the Northern Palace (Government Guest House) to Trang Tien Street, Ly Thai To Flower Garden... each stop reflects the cultural beauty and long history of the Capital.
VPIM 2024 is not only a sports race, but also an opportunity for runners to cross creative intersections, explore 36 ancient streets, and experience an elegant, rich in identity, yet dynamic, modern and full of life Hanoi.
Three iconic bridges of Hanoi - the "special" highlight at VPIM 2023 - continue to bring challenges to athletes in the 42km distance at VPIM 2024.
Athlete Nghiem Thi Hong Nhung (ANTA Running Club) shared that the 15th kilometer up to Nhat Tan Bridge was quite easy thanks to the cool weather of the early morning and no harsh sunlight.
However, the real difficulties awaiting the runners are the Dong Tru bridge section at the 33rd kilometer, when the athletes begin the last 10km and when crossing the Long Bien bridge with a rather narrow running track before reaching the finish line.
A new point of VPIM 2024 compared to the previous season as well as other races is the finish line at Tran Nhan Tong walking street area.
“This is an area near Thien Quang Lake and Thong Nhat Park, the fresh air and many trees will make runners more excited. I also predict that VPIM will have many people achieving PR (Personal Record) because of the weather and the flat inner-city running route with few twists and turns” – said Mr. Nguyen Ha Giang, captain of the VPIM 2024 pacer team.
With four distances of 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km, the VPIM 2024 course is standardized according to international standards by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). Athletes can use the results of VPIM 2023 to register for major races in the Six Majors system.
Mr. Kim Vivian – an expert from the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) shared after the measurement: “The course has more space at the finish line, which allows runners to flexibly adjust the length of the run while still maintaining plenty of space for the athletes behind them when they finish. My advice to athletes is to save energy until they cross Long Bien Bridge, then accelerate to the finish line.”
Hanoi autumn route brings many experiences
VPIM 2024 officially kicked off on October 13, when Hanoi was wearing a gentle autumn coat, with golden sunlight spreading across every street, a chilly atmosphere with the scent of milk flowers, and rows of trees gently changing leaves.
Therefore, VPIM 2024 not only attracts athletes, but also inspires the photography community with 100 professional photographers registering to participate in working and creating art.
Some photographers will “stick out” at fixed positions, while others will move freely to “hunt” for the best moments of the athletes.
All images are automatically uploaded to the system to search for images by BIB number of the athletes in real time during the race. The participation of experienced photographers promises to bring runners unique, emotional photos, marking the most memorable moments on their journey of conquest.
Putting the safety of athletes first, the VPIM 2024 Organizing Committee has arranged 18 fixed medical stations at the starting line, the finish line, the recovery area and along the routes. Each station is supported by a team of experienced doctors and nurses from Hong Ngoc Hospital.
In addition, 6 mobile teams and 6 ambulances fully equipped with specialized medical equipment are always ready at key locations, ensuring timely response to all emergency situations.
Not only stopping at medical assurance, all athletes participating in VPIM 2024 are also insured by OPES digital insurance, with an insurance package for death and/or total permanent disability due to accidents during the 3 days of the event (from October 11-13, 2024). Compensation costs are up to 300 million VND.
The VPIM 2024 race, organized by VPBank in collaboration with LynkID and VnExpress Marathon, will take place on October 13, 2024 with 4 distances: 42km, 21km, 10km, 5km.
Location: Hoan Kiem Lake walking street area & some streets in Hanoi
Sponsors accompanying the race: Diamond Sponsor ANTA Vietnam; Silver Sponsor AIA; Bronze Sponsors: Yody, Venesa, VPBankS; and other sponsors: Cake by VPBank, TH True water, Revive electrolyte water, Opes digital insurance, Hong Ngoc Hospital, Be multi-service platform, Richy confectionery brand, Hisamitsu pharmaceuticals and other sponsors.
