For decades, "old man" Bui Luong, a name not unfamiliar to Vietnamese athletics in general and especially to those who love running, has always been considered a powerful symbol, a driving force that brings vitality to the movement.
The reason he is always loved and admired wherever he goes is not only because of his illustrious achievements at the annual national cross-country race, but also because of his attitude towards his career and life. His example of training, diligence and love for running has "fueled" passion in many localities and provinces, awakening potential, contributing to training the next generations for the Vietnamese marathon.
The name "old man" is not accidental because he has had a proud career and illustrious lifetime dedication to cross-country running. Although not tall, only 1.62 m tall, but in return, the man born in 1939, originally from Ho Chi Minh City, came to this sport with a passion and considered "running" as an indispensable daily meal and drink.
I remember sitting next to him at the annual Victory Cup award ceremony of Vietnam Sports in Hanoi , he recounted: "I was born in the South but followed my family to the North. During the days away from home to dispel the nostalgia, I did not know what to do, I only knew how to train my will, determination and maintain my health by jogging. Practicing for a long time became a habit, then suddenly participating in the 5,000 m distance, called the Northern Long Distance Run in Hanoi, around Hoan Kiem Lake in 1957 and finished 3rd. That result helped me strengthen my confidence and then determined to pursue jogging."
Mr. Bui Luong (left) with former Head of the Department of High Performance Sports of the Sports and Physical Training Committee Nguyen Hong Minh at the Victory Cup award ceremony
Thanks to his talent and determination to train hard, Mr. Bui Luong won the cross-country championship for the first time in 1961 and held the national record for 5,000 m and 10,000 m for 14 years (1961-1975) until Nguyen Van Tuyet of Lao Cai set a new record.
In particular, there is a record of Mr. Bui Luong that up to now no Vietnamese athlete has broken, which is 9 times winning gold medals in the cross-country competition organized by Tien Phong Newspaper. Talking about this proud achievement, Mr. Bui Luong at that time only briefly recalled: "I am happy because running is like in my blood. For me, as long as I live, I still run, I still have passion. To get this result, I have a habit of running early in the morning every day, maintaining my health by exercising and trying to say no to stimulants."
Mr. Bui Luong (left), an example of promoting the spirit of running
Mr. Bui Luong started coaching when he was nearly 40 years old, but for more than half a century, he has always worked hard to create many generations of talents. From Dang Thi Teo, national marathon gold medalist; Doan Nu Truc Van, 10,000m champion at SEA Games 22; Nguyen Chi Dong and Nguyen Thi Hoa, marathon silver medalists at SEA Games 22 in 2023, all have had his support and guidance.
Not only that, many national champions and achievements at the SEA Games, or many localities with good middle and long distance runners, were all discovered by him. Especially in a period of nearly 10 years, with his passion, he came to Binh Phuoc and turned this place into a "gold mine" of Vietnamese running. Such as the case of Tran Van Loi or Hoang Nguyen Thanh, the first Vietnamese athlete to win a historic gold medal in the marathon with a time of 2 hours 25 minutes at the 31st SEA Games in 2022.
Mr. Bui Luong at the 2017 Victory Cup
Mr. Bui Luong's example of running has inspired many runners of all ages. I once heard him recount with radiant happiness: "When building the movement in Binh Phuoc, I was fortunate to become a bright spot in sportsmanship even though I was over 60 years old. With the support of the leaders here, I have used all my abilities to help people come to running, some of whom are physically weak and not healthy enough to enthusiastically pursue training, thereby arousing the strength to urge everyone to participate regularly. Some people told me that when they first started running, they would have reactions such as leg pain, muscle pain, and difficulty breathing, and I showed them the methods, techniques, and especially the spirit of hard work to gradually overcome them," said Mr. Bui Luong.
Farewell to him, who devoted his whole life to athletics and the sport of running in Vietnam, and was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal by the President in 1980. He will forever be a shining example for all generations to follow and practice. What he received in the category of lifetime dedication at the Victory Cup award ceremony in 2016 also showed the recognition of sports people and fans in the country for him.
May you rest in peace!
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vinh-biet-nguoi-chay-khoe-nhat-ong-gia-gan-lay-lung-cua-the-thao-viet-nam-185240701105030489.htm
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