Marathon
Runner Lê Văn Tuấn, 38, believes age is solely a quantity that doesn’t affect his skill to compete within the SEA Video games. Photograph of Tiền Phong Marathon
Thanh Hà
HÀ NỘI — Dubbed ‘outdated man’ within the marathon neighborhood, Lê Văn Tuấn, 38, has proven an iron will and powerful thoughts to dominate numerous troublesome tournaments.
He has now accomplished his lifetime job of profitable a berth within the nationwide staff at the Southeast Asian Video games in Hà Nội this summer season.
The match, which is his first and perhaps his ultimate try, might want to see his greatest efficiency for himself, as his nation has by no means secured a males’s marathon title.
On the 2022 VPBank Hanoi Marathon, which was a SEA Video games’ choice competitors, Tuấn left defending Trịnh Quốc Lượng and rising star Đào Minh Chí behind with a time of two:27.41 over the space of 42 kilometres. He stole the one slot left to accompany nationwide champion Hoàng Nguyên Thanh on the thirty first Video games in Could.
“I’ve by no means thought I’m an outdated man operating. Successful at this choice occasion means I’m a Vietnamese consultant on the SEA Video games. It’s my nice honour,” Tuấn advised media after ending.
The oldest runner was praised by his rivals and coaches.
“He deserved to win. The extra he ran, the higher he carried out. It was a troublesome match, however he overcame challenges to achieve success,” stated coach Nguyễn Tuấn Viết.
Beginning late
Tuấn was born and grew up within the northern province of Ninh Bình however at present works as a health trainer in southern Đồng Nai.
He has run since he was slightly boy earlier than participating in his first tournaments when he was a second-year scholar.
He was an athlete of Đồng Nai from 2010 to 2017 earlier than taking a two-year relaxation. In 2019, Tuấn returned to competitors and formally selected a profession as knowledgeable marathoner.
Tuấn moved from the 5km and 10km distance to full marathon with coaching plans made himself.
Tuấn runs, listens to his physique and searches for data on the web to arrange his personal programme.
“As a health coach, I can construct up plans and workout routines which might be appropriate for me. Many individuals ask about my secrets and techniques. I believe that to run properly, individuals ought to spend the primary 5 years bettering bodily energy. They need to first run 5-7km and enhance the space steadily earlier than taking up a full marathon below a selected plan. In any other case, you’ll destroy your physique,” he stated.
Lê Văn Tuấn crosses the end line of the VPBank Hanoi Marathon on March 6. He secured a berth to signify Việt Nam on the thirty first SEA Video games marathon. Photograph of VPBank Hanoi Marathon
Tuấn was profitable in his personal method. His outcomes remarkably saved bettering occasion after occasion, 12 months after 12 months.
“For my part, I believe it isn’t vital to complete second or first, it is usually not essential to beat anybody, however you need to run quicker than your self up to now,” he stated.
He was referred to as as much as the nationwide staff after a second-place end on the Tiền Phong Marathon, the nationwide championship, in 2020 on the age of 36. And his spectacular win on March 6 gave him a wonderful alternative to put on the Việt Nam uniform to compete on the SEA Video games.
“In contrast to different sports activities by which youth is essential to get excessive outcomes, athletes have to have endurance, stamina, and a powerful thoughts in track-and-field,”Tuấn advised Việt Nam Information.
“As you may see, world-leading runners are from 35 to 40. Kenenisa Bekele is 38. At this age, they’re in good physique and have endurance and talent to beat excessive strain. Superior know-how additionally helps them to develop sustainably too.
“You possibly can see Japanese 60-year-old Mariko Yugeta, who ran a marathon with an unimaginable time of two:25.01. Sure, when you have an acceptable programme, age is only a quantity. It doesn’t have an effect on individuals’s coaching behavior and outcomes.”
SEA Video games
The time of two:27.41 is Tuấn’s private greatest, however he was not glad as he didn’t attain his goal.
“I used to be set to run from 2:25.00 to 2:26.00 on this race. I gained the race however technically was not glad with the end result,” stated Tuấn.
His time was near the silver medal results of the earlier Video games, encouraging him to try for a berth within the prime three finishers or to take the first-ever marathon gold medal for Việt Nam.
“Each athlete all the time tries their greatest to seize the very best end result for the nation. Me too. However the marathon is quickly creating in Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore, so I believe I’ve to work more durable and more durable to arrange properly for the match,” Tuấn stated.
“I need to have a possibility to take the highest podium and watch the nationwide flag flying excessive. It’s my dream. I hope that the benefit of competing on residence soil will get me the victory.”
Lê Văn Tuấn wins the 2020 Quy Nhơn Marathon the place he overcame many younger title favourites for the highest place. Photograph of Quy Nhơn Marathon
Tuấn is assured he can discover his prime type over the a number of subsequent years and can take that point to get nearer and even break the nationwide document set by Nguyễn Chí Đông, one of the Vietnamese gifted marathoners.
Đông’s 2:21.51 time introduced him a silver, Việt Nam’s greatest males’s marathon end result, within the twenty second SEA Video games, which was organised in Việt Nam in 2003.
“As I stated, athletes practise and compete not solely to get excessive outcomes however to interrupt data. I would like greater than that. I need to participate in worldwide competitions, stepping on the tracks of well-known marathons in Tokyo and Boston,” he stated. — VNS
