Nguyen Van Lai sets a goal of 2 hours 36 minutes at the National Championship

Phu Yen Former SEA Games champion Nguyen Van Lai set a goal of 2 hours 36 minutes when participating in the national marathon championship this weekend.

Van Lai ran the fastest marathon in Vietnam in 2023 with a time of 2 hours 25 minutes at VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight on November 26. However, due to the hot weather in Phu Yen and his health not fully recovered after being sick, the Thanh Hoa native set a goal of 2 hours 36 minutes, nine minutes less than his personal record.

Nguyen Van Lai when he won the VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2023. Photo: VM — Nguyen Van Lai won the VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2023. Photo: VM

"I have only been preparing for the tournament for nearly two months. Before the tournament, I got the flu due to practicing in the cold and rainy weather in the North, so my resistance decreased. Now, my health has somewhat recovered, but I will not be able to compete as well as in previous tournaments," said Van Lai.

Van Lai dominated the 5,000 and 10,000m SEA Games in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2022. At the Tien Phong newspaper national marathon championship, he often competed in the 21km distance for professional athletes. Last year, the 36-year-old veteran switched to full marathons and finished second to Hoang Nguyen Thanh, with a time of 2 hours 37 minutes 8 seconds in Lai Chau last March.

Van Lai has been in Phu Yen since March 17 to get used to the weather. This time, the military athlete has no companion. According to the runner born in 1986, the weather in Phu Yen at noon is about 31 degrees Celsius, early morning is about 24 degrees Celsius with sea breeze. He believes that if he wants to have good results in this tournament, he must get used to the weather as soon as possible.

"I see many athletes arrive in Phu Yen a month in advance. Or else, they will choose a place with similar weather conditions to practice. Unfortunately, this time, due to work, I couldn't arrive early to prepare for the tournament," Van Lai said.

At the 2024 National Marathon, the number one candidate for the championship in the professional marathon distance is still Hoang Nguyen Thanh. The runner born in 1993 just broke the 21-year-old Vietnamese marathon record with 2 hours 18 minutes 43 seconds at the Hong Kong Marathon on January 21. Nguyen Thanh is the defending champion, finishing first after 2 hours 36 minutes at last year's tournament. He and members of the Binh Phuoc athletics team have been training in Phan Thiet to prepare for the tournament for the past month.

Quang Huy

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