Dao Ba Tuan, a professional IT engineer for a travel firm, is set to break the Vietnamese record by becoming the first man in the country to run over 8,000 kilometers in a single year, in a bid to raise funds to build schools in mountainous areas.

Over the past year, Tuan, a 39-year-old individual, has consistently run an average of 21 kilometers per day.

He anticipates concluding his 'running year' on January 1, 2024, upon reaching the impressive milestone of 8,330 kilometers.

Born in northern Vietnam’s Bac Giang Province, Tuan, who lives and works in Hanoi, spent his life as a passionate football player and fan before being sidelined for six months due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2021.

During his recovery from injury, Tuan embraced running as a means to maintain fitness.

By January 2022, he had become actively engaged in the local marathon-running community.

Initially, he was running 10 kilometers a day at a pace of 7-8 minutes per kilometer.

With the improvement of his overall health and stamina, Tuan made the decision to challenge himself by attempting to break the Vietnamese record for the most kilometers run in a year.

Not only is his achievement set to land him in the record books, it will also help him raise funds for building schools in mountainous areas in Ha Giang Province, northern Vietnam.

As of December 26, he had run 8,197 kilometers.

Thousands of Vietnamese runners and marathon enthusiasts have supported him on his journey to 8,330 kilometers in 365 days.

Tuan’s running schedule is fairly straightforward. Each morning, rain or shine, he wakes up at 4:00 am and begins his run around the My Dinh Water Sports Stadium in Hanoi at 4:30 am.  

He typically completes his half-marathon (21 kilometers) at 6:30 am before stopping at home for a shower and heading to work. 

“I have three children and I am often busy at work, but I always try to arrange my schedule so that I can run each day,” Tuan said.

“My injury made my wife so nervous that she asked me not to run, but my health has actually improved and she has been very supportive.

“I have not been sick nor needed any medication for the past year."

Over the past two years, Tuan has participated in 14 marathons and two 70-kilometer ultramarathons. 

Hoang Ngoc Ha, member of the My Dinh Runner, a marathon club in Hanoi, and a football referee, often runs with Tuan and other club members on weekends.

“Tuan’s determination has inspired not only the members of his club, but also Vietnamese runners in general,” he said.

“We all really respect his will."

To help Tuan cross the finish line of his 8,330-kilometer challenge, the members of the club will run a 365-kilometer relay race lasting 34 hours from December 30 to January 1, 2024 around the My Dinh Water Sports Stadium.

Each participating runner will run from 21 to 36.5 kilometers.

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