Dao Ba Thanh: Poor student becomes marathon 'phenomenon'

Dao Ba Thanh - a student majoring in automotive engineering at the University of Water Resources ( Hanoi ) - is emerging as one of the most popular amateur marathon runners in Vietnam.

Dao Ba Thanh participates in a marathon - Photo: TRAN DOANH

Recently, Ba Thanh has broken 4 marathon records (42.195km) of his own in 4 consecutive tournaments with a time of under 3 hours. Thanh's achievements are considered a "phenomenon" in the running world.

Passion for running to challenge yourself

Dao Ba Thanh (21 years old) is a member of Ho Lon Running Club, Thanh Xuan District (Hanoi). Every early morning or late afternoon, regardless of the scorching summer sun or the freezing cold winter rain, Thanh is still there to run at Thanh Xuan Park.

"Mutant" or "God" are also nicknames that people give Thanh. The reason is because Thanh runs hard and has won many achievements for the club.

Specifically, Ba Thanh once ran Uprace nearly 1,000km in 1 month for charity (an average of 33km/day). He also ran 100km continuously around Thanh Xuan Park in 2022. Most recently, Thanh ran 100 miles (equivalent to 160km) over 2 days and nights to mark his 21st birthday, also at the club's headquarters.

According to the official records of Vietnam Best Marathon, from the Long Bien Marathon 2022 to the VPBank Hanoi International Marathon (VPIM) 2023, Ba Thanh has continuously broken his own records.

For example, in his first marathon at the end of 2022, Ba Thanh achieved a time of 2 hours 59 minutes 08 seconds. At the VPIM 2023 tournament taking place on October 8, 2023, Thanh's time was 2 hours 48 minutes 16 seconds - ranking fourth overall.

Currently, Ba Thanh is also recognized as the youngest Vietnamese amateur athlete to run a marathon in under 3 hours.

Ba Thanh shared after finishing fourth at VPIM on October 8 with a new personal record: "I was so happy I couldn't sleep, even though I stayed up almost all night last night to prepare to be at the starting line at exactly 3am. The result reflected my expectations because I had trained hard."

Dao Ba Thanh ranked fourth in the marathon distance at the VPIM tournament on October 8 in Hanoi - Photo: VPIM

Bring the bonus home for mom to buy gold

Dao Ba Thanh is currently a second-year student majoring in automotive engineering at Hanoi University of Water Resources. He is the eldest brother in the family with two younger siblings. Thanh's parents are traders, and his family still has to rent a house.

Every day after school, Thanh works hard to stay healthy so that he can help his parents in the future. "Last month, I won fourth place in a running competition and was awarded more than 10 million VND. I brought the money home to give to my mother so she could immediately buy 1 tael of gold to save up," Thanh boasted.

Although he admits to being physically active, Thanh came to running quite late. He only started running officially in 2018. Before that, Thanh suffered a soccer injury, resulting in patellar necrosis requiring surgery.

Ba Thanh shared: "I find running very interesting, besides the health benefits, it also brings a lot of joy. Running gives me the opportunity to get to know many people, from all walks of life. I hope to improve my performance even more."

Former national marathon team coach Bui Luong said Ba Thanh has the qualities of a long-distance runner and is very passionate about running.

"If he receives a proper curriculum, along with a good and scientific diet and nutrition, Thanh will go far. I only regret that his family's economic conditions are quite limited, and he can only practice in the park.

If Ba Thanh receives investment from an industry or a sponsor, I believe the future will be good for both Thanh and Vietnam Marathon," said coach Bui Luong.

Tuoitre.vn