Sport

Le Van Huong: From running for a living to the journey of maturity

Diep Thanh • May 27, 2025 17:52

From a poor boy from the countryside who relied on sports to share the economic burden for his family, Le Van Huong has gradually affirmed his name on big and small running tracks across the country. What makes Huong most proud when coming to running is the great lessons about health, discipline, love and maturity - values ​​not recorded in the achievement table...

Huong's different running path

In just 1 month, the name Le Van Huong (born 2002) suddenly became familiar to the community.joggingnationwide: Won 21km at VnExpress Marathon Hue 2025, 2 weeks later won 42km at Hung Temple Marathon, and continued to maintain his form when he won the half marathon distance in the "Journey following Uncle Ho's footsteps - For the security of the Fatherland" race.

Behind those lightning-fast steps and impressive achievements, few people know that Huong's biggest motivation comes from something very ordinary: Bonus money.

Huong is the eldest child in a family of four siblings. His parents' jobs are unstable, and their income is uncertain. When he was only 14 years old, he accepted to leave home and leave TX. Hoang Mai to pursue professional sports with a simple thought: "If I live in a center, my parents will not have to support me, and will save some of the expenses."

The biggest event in Huong's life came at the end of 2023, when her father suddenly passed away due to a serious illness. The pain of loss almost made him collapse, but then that shock became the motivation, causing him to change direction: from walking, which Huong had pursued for many years, to running as a way to move on after the loss. "Since my father passed away, every run for me is like a double effort. I think of my mother, think of my younger siblings who are still in school, and think that if I win the prize, I will have money to make my mother's life easier, my younger brother can continue studying or follow the same sports path as me," Huong said, without embellishment, without exaggeration, but every word is full of the quality of someone who matured early due to circumstances.

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People usually run for fun and to stay healthy. But for me, the biggest motivation when running is the prize money. If I win, I will have money to help my mother pay for living expenses and take care of my siblings.

Le Van Huong

Because the main motivation comes from economics, Huong does not have "fancy" running shoes, no specialized watch, no support equipment, he only brings one thing: an iron will to not turn back. Huong's steps do not come from the goal of setting a record or proving himself, but from a journey to make a living, full of aspirations. It is not by chance that the boy with a calm appearance and a gentle smile is so strong on the running track. Because each step of Huong is a promise to his deceased father, to his hard-working mother, to his young siblings. And at the end of each finish line, there is a less difficult, brighter future for his small family.

More than just awards

Coming to running with the desire to achieve results, but the more attached to this sport, Le Van Huong becomes more aware: The most valuable thing I receive is not the medals or bonuses, but the maturity in both physical and mental aspects and perspective on life.

The first profound lesson that Huong remembered was how to take care of her health, listen to and understand her body. After winning the 21km distance at VnExpress Marathon 2025, Huong suffered a strained left thigh muscle. But instead of resting, she rushed to continue participating in the 42km distance at the Hung Temple Marathon just 2 weeks later.

“At first, I was in pain for the first 4-5 km, so I had to push myself to run. Luckily, when my muscles warmed up, everything got better and I even finished 3 minutes faster than my goal,” Huong said. However, that victory made her complacent. At the race “Journey following Uncle Ho's footsteps– For the security of the Fatherland”, after 21 km, her legs no longer obeyed, the serious injury made Huong unable to walk normally. “That was when I understood: No one can overcome their body when it is overloaded. If you do not know when to stop, passion can become dangerous”.

That lesson made Huong change. She proactively skipped some tournaments close to the date, focused on treatment, recovery, and light exercise – not to stop, but to go further.

The second lesson is about professionalism – something Huong lacked in the early days. “In early 2024, I participated in a small tournament in Quang Binh. Confident that I could easily win, I stayed up late, ate randomly and traveled a lot before the competition day. As a result, on the competition day, my performance was unexpectedly low, I didn’t even win a prize, let alone become a champion. I paid the price for my lack of professionalism.” Since then, whether it was a big or small tournament, Huong has always been serious, eating on time, only eating, resting early, and not being subjective for a minute. “A serious attitude makes me feel secure. If I don’t win a prize, I won’t regret it,” Huong added.

Running also brought Huong an “added value” that he did not expect – friends. Joining the Nghe An Runners community, Huong was accompanied by brothers, sisters, and sincere friends. Knowing Huong’s situation, people not only encouraged him mentally but also shared material things: Some gave him gifts, some sponsored bus tickets, some offered prizes to motivate him to compete… Huong confided: “When I think of everyone, I am very emotional. I feel like I am being protected, like I have a second family.”

Not only running, Huong also participates in charity activities with the community, spreading the spirit of beautiful living from the values ​​that sports bring. For Huong, the running track is no longer just a path to the finish line. It is a journey of awareness, of love, of silent but strong connections. And every step he takes is not only to overcome limits, but also to cultivate a mature, happy and grateful soul.