Nearly every day, a small, agile man with weather-beaten skin in shorts and running shoes, loses himself teaching people to run in Thanh Xuân Park, southern Hà Nội.

He is a frequent runner at the park and stops many people, familiar or strange, to show them the basics of the sport. Not bad going for an 85-year-old.

This is how Bùi Lương, a retired athlete and coach, has been starting his day for decades.

From a group of dozens of people, the running club in the park has gathered over 2,000 people of all ages from all walks of life.

Some never had any intention to run, others have won marathon races.

Lương also guides people practising in other parks in the city like Thống Nhất, Hòa Bình, Thành Công, Thanh Hà, and Hoàn Kiếm Lake in different mornings in the week. He jogs to the destination or takes the bus there to train people for free.

“I hope amateur runners can have good techniques so that they can make higher achievements,” the octogenarian told Việt Nam News.

Kim Nguyễn, a yoga trainer, met him by chance and was inspired.

GROUP RUN: Bùi Lương (left front) practises with his trainees in Thanh Xuân Park. VNS Photo Nhật Hồng

“My house is near here,” she said. “I used to walk around this lake as a morning exercise. I met Mr Lương, and he taught me basic techniques like moving arms and breathing. Then I started to become a runner. It has been only 1.5 months, but I feel more agile, I lose weight and my spirit goes high.”

She and other learners even call him “dad” and enjoy his wholehearted teaching.

“Dad Lương is a very simple and friendly person,” she said. “Though he is old, he has great enthusiasm inside, which is a driving force for me to keep running.”

Lê Bảo Long, a bank officer, said: “He is like a dad to all of us. He is willing to teach anyone here, even strangers.”

Lê Thúy Phương, a businesswoman, said she had joined this team for four years.

“Dad Lương and experienced members in the club have taught me to run better, faster, and for longer distances,” she said.

“At first could only run 500m and felt exhausted, now I can manage 42km or even longer. I just hope I can run like him when I reach his age.”

WARM UP: Bùi Lương (left) enjoys his happiest moment early in the morning each day. VNS Photo Nhật Hồng

Lương said beginners should consult more experienced runners or enthusiastic coaches for techniques to save time and energy to practise effectively.

Athletic monument

Among the Vietnamese professional athletic circle, Lương, a worker-turned-runner, is considered a living legend with a 60-year-career in track and field, including 20 years (1957-1977) as an athlete and 40 years (1980-2020) as a coach.

Lương has many medals including eight consecutive gold medals in national marathons, which no one has surpassed so far.

He has also broken national records in the 5,000m race with a time of 15min 45.5sec, and in the 10,000m race with a time of 32:44:08, at the National Athletics Festival in 1967.

Lương said he had set a strict practice schedule at the beginning. He was born and grew up in Sài Gòn [now HCM City]. In 1954 he moved to the North and worked at the Hải Phòng Cement Plant.

HEY DAY: Bùi Lương approaches the finish line in a race in his golden era. File Photo

“I ran in the afternoon if I worked in the morning shift and vice-versa,” he said.

“When I joined the army, I got up at 3.45am and ran, whatever the weather. Each day, each week, I tried to run faster and faster."

Lương went on to become a professional runner. In 1977, when he finished his athletic career, he became a coach for Hà Nội athletics team. He has helped train various great names for Việt Nam’s sport including Đặng Thị Tèo (national champion at medium and long races and a national marathon champion), Nguyễn Thu Phương, Nguyễn Thị Hòa, Lưu Văn Hùng, and Nguyễn Chí Đông.

Lương said practising during the fierce anti-American war was the most memorable moment of his life.

“At the National Marathon Race held in Hòa Bình in 1970, when I was running, the US aircraft bombed the other bank of the river,” he said. “The bomb explosions were so strong, soil and stones flew on to our running track on this side of the river.

“I got injured in my thigh, but I did not stop. I ran to the finish line holding my thigh.”

Now, he is still inspiring people every day, and even works as a consultant and judge at tournaments.

“At my age, I hope to continue practising and exchanging with people of all ages to cheer up my life,” he said.

"I still remember all the small details in my life and have no big problems with my joints or bones." VNS

FIT AS A FIDDLE: At 85, he has no big problems with bones and joints. VNS Photo Nhật Hồng

(With additional interview by Nhật Hồng)