Blind runner runs 21km at MetaSports Marathon Ha Long

Crossing the finish line of MetaSports Marathon Amazing Ha Long 2023 on the morning of September 10, Hoang Linh still held Tien Manh's hand tightly, guiding each step to move and avoid obstacles. Anh Linh also assisted Manh in fetching water and receiving the finisher shirt and medal. Vu Tien Manh is an athlete of the Hanoi blind athletics team, and Hoang Linh is his familiar pacer at the 21km distance.

MetaSports Marathon Ha Long is the second tournament in the MetaSports Marathon system. Tien Manh and Hoang Linh accompany each other this year, after the tournament in Hue. The two reached the finish line after 1 hour and 47 minutes. "Because my leg hurts and I have to slow down, Manh has to run slowly. If he runs with the right strength, Manh's performance will be even better," said pacer Hoang Linh.

Before that, at 2:00 a.m., Vu Tien Manh woke up to prepare and went to the Vinhomes square area to depart at 4:00 a.m. If you are not an acquaintance, it will be difficult to recognize this special runner. Manh warms up his body like other runners. The movements he does are more professional than many people, because he is used to competing. Entering the starting line, the two used a rope, tied to Manh's left hand and Linh's right hand.

According to Mr. Linh, in the first half of the race, the weather was dry and the road was wide and airy, so the two brothers competed quite smoothly. Entering to conquer Bai Chay bridge is also when it rains heavily, the challenges begin to increase. It was raining so there were many puddles on the road, plus there were so many people on the bridge that the road got stuck and there was some obstruction. Many runners ran along, realizing that Manh was visually impaired, they proactively gave way and shouted for Mr. Hoang Linh to clear the road.

With support from everyone, Tien Manh conquered the most difficult sections of the road easily. "I know that the specialty of MetaSports Marathon Ha Long is the slopes, so I practiced and prepared myself mentally early. Following the pacer's instructions, I proactively shortened my steps and reduced my pace according to the correct strategy. It doesn't take much effort," Manh shared.

Having played together for two years, Linh and Manh understand each other down to every touch. To have this chemistry, they had to go through practice, tripping each other, pulling hands on the track, giving both of them a lot of experience. "I practice with a pacer at least three times a week," the male runner shared.

Up to now, when running, the pacer does not need to say much, Tien Manh feels the symbols and runs at the same rhythm and steps with Mr. Hoang Linh. "The racetrack is long and running takes effort, so the pacer can't just keep talking. Especially when it's both rainy and crowded like today. I have to feel and adapt when I get a signal from Mr. Linh to keep my strength up." both brothers," Manh said.

The achievement of 1 hour 47 is a bit slower than the goal, but for Manh this is a good result. After MetaSports Marathon Ha Long, Tien Manh and Hoang Linh aim to conquer MetaSports Marathon Hai Phong taking place in December this year, the full marathon distance. "If he can do this, Manh will be the first blind person in Vietnam to run 42km. Currently, the two brothers are in the training phase for the tournament," runner Hoang Linh shared.

"I want to close the gap between blind runners and normal runners. I want to become the first blind person to complete the 42km distance to inspire the community," Vu Tien Manh confided.

Vu Tien Manh is an athlete of the Hanoi blind athletics team. Coming to athletics since 2017, he started with short distances. Then in 2020, Manh fell in love with long running and movement events after the pandemic break. Last year, he finished fourth in a 10km race. Meanwhile, Duong Vu Hoang Linh is the coach of the Hanoi athletics team, regularly practicing to support Vu Tien Manh.

Currently, Manh is the head of a running club for the blind, with about 40 members. Participating in the MetaSports Ha Long Marathon, in addition to Vu Tien Manh and Duong Vu Hoang Linh, the blind club also had two other couples running 21km and one couple running 10km.