Self-taught in running since the 1990s, Mr. Phan Hoang Diep has led over 300 students to participate in provincial and national running competitions.
Around 1994, Hoang Diep learned about running through physical education class in middle school. Unlike his classmates who considered this subject a requirement to complete the curriculum, Hoang Diep found excitement in running. Since then, every night, he ran a short distance of about 400m to 500m to improve his health. At that time, the 14-year-old boy did not imagine that running would become a passion that would follow him for 30 years.
"My house was next to Highway 20. Back then, the road was very deserted. At night, there were almost no cars. On dark nights, I only dared to drive about 500 meters away from home and then return. On bright moonlit nights, I dared to go down the pass, nearly 10 kilometers from home," Mr. Diep recalled.
Mr. Hoang Diep on the Ta Nang trail running route in November 2023. Photo: Ta Nang Trail
Maintaining his training until high school, Diep caught the attention of his teachers. In grade 12, he was sent to Da Lat to compete and won a silver medal in the 1,500m distance of the Phu Dong Sports Festival. After this achievement, he was determined to enter the Ho Chi Minh City University of Physical Education and Sports. However, four months before the exam, his father passed away. As the eldest of three children, Diep had no choice but to drop out of school to help his mother with farming.
But that did not stop Diep from running. Every day, he still spends time running from 5 km to 10 km around Gia Hiep commune, Di Linh district. Facing the curious eyes of many people, he sometimes only dares to run at night because he is embarrassed and afraid of being judged as "crazy".
But it was also this unusual action that helped Diep become more widely known. In 2001, a physical education teacher transferred to Di Linh town, 14 km from Diep's house. When he heard about him, this person called and gave him a book.
"I still remember it clearly. The book was called 'Training for Middle-Long Distance Running', translated from a foreign language, published by Ha Giang Library. The book followed me throughout the following years. At that time, there was no internet, so this was the only reference source for me to research, bringing me to the real world of running," Mr. Diep recalled.
Mr. Diep is perhaps a testament to the saying "Follow your passion, success will follow you". Also in this year, while he was running in the afternoon, two students came to him and asked to practice together. He happily agreed. Gradually, the students spread the word, forming a spontaneous running team under his guidance and inspiration.
This running team was called "Barefoot Army" by the people of Gia Hiep commune. At that time, no one could afford to buy running shoes. From teachers to students, they all ran barefoot on the asphalt of Highway 20. Many students joined the practice right after school, still in their uniforms. At times, the "army" had up to 50 members.
Mr. Diep and his group of students after participating in a provincial athletics competition. Photo: NVCC
In 2002, Mr. Diep took his students to the competition for the first time, and immediately won third place in the men's team competition and several consolation prizes. In the following years, until the movement was discontinued due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the "barefoot army" always ranked first in the whole group at the provincial level, won the men's and women's team championships, and won many individual awards.
"During its existence, my running team was a place for hundreds of students in Gia Hiep commune. Some of them continued to pursue running and became famous athletes. In total, I brought about 300 to 400 students to participate in provincial races and about 50 students to compete in national races. At that time, we all used our own money to compete," he recalled.
He also competed with his students until he retired in 2017. In 2004, when he was 23 years old, he first joined the Lam Dong province athletics team, specializing in the middle distance of 800m to 1500m. Admitting that he had no talent and joined the team very late, but practicing and accumulating every day helped him improve his performance quickly. "At first, I couldn't compete with my friends who had been on the team for a long time. But a year later, my performance was on par with them. The teachers on the team were surprised and asked me how I trained. Until now, I still think I'm the type who works hard to make up for my ability and doesn't have good talent like the others," he said.
Mr. Diep and the wall with the awards he won during his time participating in athletics. Photo: Quang Huy
In 2005, Diep won the 7km race at the national athletics tournament and finished second the following year. In the following years, he was a familiar face, representing Lam Dong province in national competitions. In 2015, at the age of 34, he retired from the provincial athletics team and became an assistant coach.
Two years later, Diep was laid off due to not having a university degree. He sadly returned to farming, ending 30 years of dedication to running. However, this was also the time when the running movement exploded in Vietnam. And Diep decided to switch to marathon running. In the early years, he went "hunting for prizes" like many other elite runners. Recently, realizing that his achievements could not keep up with the younger generation, he switched to trail running - a form that helped him revive his childhood passion, when he often explored the trails on Brah Yang mountain near his home.
Thanks to his extensive connections in the athletics community in Lam Dong province, Diep was also sought out by trail race organizers for advice on designing running routes. Once again, running opened up new opportunities for him. In the near future, he will design the running route for the Brah Yang trail race in March and some races at the end of the year. "I think that in the future, Lam Dong will be the mecca of trail running in Vietnam. I want to contribute to bringing the image of my hometown to the running community. Help other localities in the province, such as Di Linh, develop tourism, not just Da Lat," he said.
Diep also did not forget his passion for guiding young people to jogging. According to him, students nowadays no longer seek jogging because they have many other pleasures in life. However, he revealed that he has just accepted an offer from Gia Hiep Secondary School to train a new generation of athletes, hoping to revive the "barefoot army" of the past.
Quang Huy
Source link
Comment (0)