Mai Trung and Dan Quyet battle for lead in 42km at VM Nghe An 2026

At 3:10 AM on September 27, Ho Chi Minh Square in Vinh City was still brightly lit. The first steps of the 42km marathon at the VnExpress Marathon Grand Tour Nghe An 2026 had just begun 10 minutes earlier. Nguyen Mai Trung and Dan Quyet, two elite runners, quickly broke away and formed a leading pair. The gap between them was only about 10 meters, enough to see each other but not enough to feel safe. Nguyen Mai Trung, 35, from Hanoi, is a member of Thanh Cong Runners Club. He works in e-commerce, but his biggest mark in the running community came from his time of 2 hours 41 minutes 55 seconds at the VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong 2026, ranking 69th among the fastest full marathon runners in Vietnamese history. Dan Quyet, meanwhile, looked more relaxed, waving to cameras while maintaining his pace. In the women's race, My Hien of Nghe An Runners Club is leading. She holds a personal best of 3 hours 7 minutes 39 seconds and has strong support from home fans. If she keeps her form, My Hien could surprise many at this first-ever event held in the homeland of President Ho Chi Minh. The 2026 VnExpress Marathon Grand Tour Nghe An features four distances: 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km. All runners start at Ho Chi Minh Square and finish on Truong Thi Street, near Le Van Huu Street. The 42km starts earliest at 3 AM, followed by 21km at 4 AM, 10km at 5 AM and 5km at 6 AM. The 42km route offers diverse scenery. Runners pass Ho Tung Mau, Truong Thi, Le Nin Avenue, then connect to Vinh - Cua Lo Avenue. After about 16km, they turn onto Binh Minh route along Cua Lo beach, facing sea winds before turning back at Cua Xa. Those unfamiliar with coastal running may find this section challenging. Before the race, Thanh Meo, a veteran runner from Vinh Runners Club, said this race has one of the smallest 42km fields he has ever seen. He believes this makes it easier to compete for podium places or set personal records, as a crowded field can disrupt rhythm. The Nghe An route is considered beautiful and relatively flat, ideal for fast times. Organizers mobilized hundreds of volunteers, police, traffic police and local medical staff. Since the evening of September 26, volunteers have been at the start area, receiving assignments and preparing water stations, cheering zones and other infrastructure. For the 42km category, cutoff points are at km 10 (5:40 AM) and km 16.9 (6:50 AM). The route closes completely at 7:30 AM. Slower runners must adjust their strategy to avoid being disqualified from official results. The duel between Mai Trung and Dan Quyet is still in its early stage. A 10-meter gap after 10 minutes is not huge. In a 42km race, mentality and nutrition strategy will decide the outcome. Can Mai Trung hold his pace along the coastal section, or will Dan Quyet wait for the final kilometers to strike? This first edition in Nghe An has created an exciting playground not only for elite runners but also for those seeking to push their own limits. And on these streets of Vinh City, the answer is slowly revealing itself with every step.