HA NOI - The running movement spread throughout Viet Nam in 2017, as Vietnamese runners set records that could not have been imagined in earlier times. Runners made their marks not only on local routes, but also on well-known tracks throughout the world.

Last May, the Viet Nam national flag was hoisted on Everest peak when Pham Duy Cuong finished the 42,195km race at the Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon.

Cuong, 35, from Ha Noi, finished the race with a time of 7hr 47.07min and ranked No 71 out of 202 competitors.

This is an annual tournament which is considered as the world’s highest marathon.

It is an international high altitude adventure sports event held from the Mt. Everest Base Camp, crisscrossing through the high sherpa trails in Khumbu Valley on May 29 every year.

Cuong has become more famous due to the marathon. He has since established the “Chay Vi Minh - Run For Self” club, where runners can exchange their experiences in running and organising events.

Five months after Everest, Cuong opened a non-profit sport event company called Big Prizes, which focuses on organising running tournaments which, according to him, provide the best prize of all, good health for all its participants.

Despite being a new company, Big Prizes holds event every week for fans of running in Ha Noi.

Cuong was pleased with what he has done to promote running in the capital city, as well as in Viet Nam, in general.

Within a short time, some 30 running events have been created and are being sponsored for communities, as well as three charity events that have been held by “Chay Vi Minh - Run For Self” and Big Prizes.

Cuong has set up a target of at least 100 events in 2018, and he will take part in a marathon in the North Pole, which is the world’s coldest race.

A challenge conquered

Vu Phuong Thanh or Thanh Vu may be the most famous marathoner in Viet Nam, as she has conquered the most difficult races in the world.

Thanh Vu poses with the national flag during one of her marathon on deserts.

The 28-year-old from HCM City has challenged herself in routes that even men might be afraid of.

She took part in her first marathon in October, 2015, at the Atacama Crossing in Chile. During the next year she completed in all four legs of the 4 Deserts Grand Slam, which took place in the Sahara, Gobi and Atacama deserts, as well as the South Pole.

To date, Thanh is the first Asian, and one of 13 women in the world, who have perfected the Grand Slam, which covers some 1.000km.

Last May, Thanh participated in the 10-day 522km The Track in Australia. Four months later she took part in the Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc, a 167km run in the Alps. Thanh failed to finish that marathon, but it did not stop her from running.

The woman, who quit her job at Bloomberg in Singapore after years studying in Singapore, Canada and England, is scheduled to run in tournaments in North America and in the North Pole this year.

Thanh said running not only provided better health, but also sharpens a person’s willingness and courage.

She also wanted to encourage the nation’s youth, saying: “Don’t be afraid of difficulties and challenges. Our limit is set by ourselves.”

A record holder

At the age of 40, Nguyen Trung Kien or Kien Running, has set a record when running nearly 1,800km from Ha Noi to HCM City in the fastest time of 26 days.

Nguyen Trung Kien runs at the 2017 Vietnam Mountain Marathon.

Kien started at 5.20am October 22, 2017 at Hoan Kiem Lake, Ha Noi, and reached Independence Palace in HCM City at 4.22pm on November 16.

Kien, who ran an average of 70km per day, said it was not only a test of his limits, but also to encourage Vietnamese people to become more active, especially those youths who spend too much time with social networks and smart phones.

The man with tanned skin said he is now busy with many plans, in which he would run with the spirit of ‘never-give-up’.

An iron woman

After years of taking care of a sick mother, Nguyen Thi Gia Hue found that she should be a doctor for herself and become involved in sports to have a healthy life.

She first practised the triathlon, which includes cycling, swimming and running, and took part in the Ironman competition in Da Nang, which is now her favourite tournament each year.

Iron woman Nguyen Thi Gia Hue during a tournament in 2017.

In three years in a row, from 2015-17, Hue had no difficulty in topping the Ironman Viet Nam.

She earned her spot at the World Ironman in 2016 in Australia and in 2017 in the US.

Hue said she could improve her strength, in both her physique and mental strength, through practising the Ironman sports.

It also helped her to become brave enough to throw herself into more difficult challenges.

In 2016, Hue championed Challenge Viet Nam, held in Nha Trang, and became the first Vietnamese woman to win a berth in the Challenge Roth in Germany last July.

It is also a dream tournament for triathlon athletes throughout the world, in which the course is an Ultra Distance of 226.2km. — VNS