Mai Trung and Dan Quyet Battle for the 42km Lead, My Hien Surprises in the Women's Race at VM Nghe An 2026

At exactly 3:00 a.m. on September 27, 2026, in front of Ho Chi Minh Square in Vinh City, Nghe An Province, the 42km event of the VnExpress Marathon Grand Tour Nghe An 2026 started all at once. Just minutes after the countdown, three names broke away from the pack: Dan Quyet, Dao Ba Thanh and Nguyen Mai Trung. In the darkness before dawn, the longest race of the tournament had already taken shape in its very first meters. Ten minutes after the start, Mai Trung and Dan Quyet were almost glued to each other on the course. The two athletes took turns leading, with the gap hovering around 10m. While Mai Trung kept a focused look, eyes fixed ahead, Dan Quyet seemed relaxed enough to wave at the cameras as he passed. That contrast says a great deal about how each man enters a long race. Mai Trung is 35 years old, from Hanoi, works in e-commerce and is a member of Thanh Cong Runners. He is known in the capital's running community for a time of 2 hours 41 minutes 55 seconds at the VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong 2026 - ranking 69th on the list of the fastest full marathon runners in Vietnamese history. For an amateur athlete, that is no small number. In the women's event, the biggest surprise is My Hien. A runner with Nghe An Runners, holding a personal record of 3 hours 7 minutes 39 seconds, she is currently leading the women's field. Racing on her own home soil, before familiar spectators, My Hien is exploiting the home advantage in a way that no results table can fully measure. The course this year has been rated favorable by experts. From Ho Chi Minh Square, the athletes run through Ho Tung Mau, Truong Thi and Le Nin Avenue before joining Vinh - Cua Lo Avenue. After about 16km, the route turns onto Binh Minh, hugs the Cua Lo coastline and turns around at Cua Xa. The finish line is on Truong Thi Street, at the junction with Le Van Huu. The 42km is only one part of the event. On the same day, the race also holds the 21km (starting at 4:00), 10km (5:00) and 5km (6:00) distances. The 21km course has two cut-off points at km 10 at 5:40 and km 16.9 at 6:50, closing at 7:30. The 10km has one cut-off at km 6 at 6:15, closing at 7:00. The 5km has no cut-off and closes at 7:15. Before the start, the atmosphere around Ho Chi Minh Square was already lively. Home clubs such as Nghe An Runner and Ha Tinh Runner appeared in striking pink jerseys. Familiar faces like Dan Quyet, Dao Ba Thanh and Le Van Huong were in the field. Talking before the race, Thanh Meo and Vinh Runner noted this is one of the events with the fewest 42km runners, creating favorable conditions for competing and breaking personal records. The small field size is worth noting. For a marathon, the absence of crowds on the long distance is both an opportunity and a signal. The opportunity lies in the fact that elites have more space to open up, less likely to be stuck in a large group. But it also shows that the marathon remains a demanding distance, where the barriers of fitness and training time eliminate most runners before they ever reach the starting line. Behind every race is an operating machine. From the evening of September 26, hundreds of volunteers were present at the start area to receive assignments and get familiar with procedures. They were deployed to points along the course, installing infrastructure, completing water stations and cheer zones. Local police, traffic police and medical staff were also mobilized to ensure security, manage traffic and provide medical support. Without those thousands of footsteps, the athletes' race could not take place. This is the first time the VnExpress Marathon has been held on the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh. Bib distribution took place over two days, September 25-26, at the Nghe An Labor Culture House, with four distances of 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km. A record is only an excuse to remember a person, not a number. The 2 hours 41 minutes 55 seconds of Mai Trung or the 3 hours 7 minutes 39 seconds of My Hien will still be mentioned, but what people remember longer is the image of a 35-year-old man who, just off his work shift, still goes out to run at 3:00 a.m., and a young woman running on the very road where she grew up. As the sun rises over Vinh - Cua Lo Avenue, the race is still undecided. Mai Trung and Dan Quyet still have every chance, and My Hien still holds the lead. But one thing is already clear: on that coastal course, what is being tested is not only the legs, but also the reason each person chose to stand at the starting line.