Ho Chi Minh City shines bright during VnExpress Marathon night race

Independence Palace, Notre Dame Cathedral, the city opera house, and a series of other city landmarks were illuminated, creating beautiful scenes along the route of the VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2026.

In the early morning of 22/3, the VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight 2026, Vietnam's largest night race, took place with 13,000 athletes participating. The route passed through 10 of the city's iconic landmarks, offering a unique experience for runners.

The four distances of 5km, 10km, 21km, and 42km all started at Tao Dan Park, then proceeded through central streets such as Truong Dinh, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, and Dong Khoi.

In the photo, the majestic scene of Independence Palace contrasted with the lively atmosphere of the race.

After Independence Palace, runners entered the road surrounding Notre Dame Cathedral. This more than 140-year-old landmark is currently undergoing renovation.

The city's People's Committee building is a favorite check-in spot for young people and a desired photo opportunity for race participants. The structure glowed brightly at night, standing out with its classical architecture, yellow walls, white columns, and arched domes.

Adjacent to the People's Committee building is Nguyen Hue Walking Street. Many foreign tourists stopped to high-five and cheer as athletes ran past this section of the road.

Located on Nguyen Hue Walking Street is the city opera house. The organizers set up a water station opposite this landmark.

Me Linh Square roundabout, viewed from above, features the statue of Saint Tran Hung Dao pointing towards the Saigon River and Bach Dang Wharf.

From the Tran Hung Dao statue, runners continued along Ton Duc Thang Street, heading onto Ba Son Bridge, one of the city's most beautiful cable-stayed bridges.

Runners conquered Ba Son Bridge, one of the challenges along the VnExpress Marathon Ho Chi Minh City Midnight route.

Thousands of runners, forming a neon blue stream, passed by the brightly lit Nha Rong Wharf in the background, creating an impressive scene.

In addition to Ba Son Bridge, the 21km and 42km night race routes also crossed two other bridges: Thoi Dai Bridge and Thu Thiem Bridge. The photo shows a section of Thu Thiem Bridge viewed from above.