At 4 a.m. on July 13, hundreds of runners from across Danang gathered on Bach Dang Street to warm up for the VnExpress Marathon.

The event, organized by the Danang Runners Club (DNR) and sponsored by Puma, Ocany, and Huawei, included pacers wearing bibs and balloons, just like in a formal race. The pacers were divided into four groups: 5:00, 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30 pace groups.

Runners covered part of the VnExpress Marathon 10km route, starting near the VTV8 headquarters, a popular spot for Danang runners. The route continued along Bach Dang, Nhu Nguyet, and Nguyen Tat Thanh streets, finishing back at the starting point.

Two aid stations, stocked with water, electrolyte drinks, and watermelon, were set up at the starting line and at the beginning of Nhu Nguyet Street.

The run lasted from 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Tran Binh, a runner from Danang, shared that the VnExpress Marathon Danang is his first race. He has been training with DNR for several weeks in preparation. "With the pacers and the enthusiastic support, I'm confident I can complete the 10km on my home turf," Binh said.

After the run, the pacers led cool-down and stretching exercises.

The event concluded around 7 a.m. with a raffle.

Two lucky runners won the top prizes: a pair of Puma Velocity 4 shoes each.

The Velocity 4, Puma's latest release (launching on 17/7), features a full Nitro foam midsole, reducing the weight to approximately 247 g (US size 10). It also incorporates a PumaGrip outsole for superior traction on both wet and lightly graveled surfaces, and offers responsive cushioning suitable for everything from relaxed runs to fast tempo workouts.