Doctor passionate about cosplay on the run

“Cosplay” at marathons is no longer strange, however, few runners have been able to turn this hobby into a personal brand. In Tay Ninh , an athlete became famous at running races when he created his own mark by transforming into No Face (a character in the famous anime “Spirited Away”).

Doctor Quach Truong Phuong was honored at the VietRace 365 Awards Ceremony.

Run to discover yourself

In contrast to his serious appearance at work, Dr. Quach Truong Phuong (working at Tay Ninh Center for Disease Control) always brings a vibrant and positive energy when participating in running races.

“Running helps me gain many things. From health, experience to new relationships, when meeting and interacting with people who share the same passion. Therefore, when I feel tired on the running track, seeing people around me enthusiastically supporting me, I feel like I have more strength to lift my spirit to complete my goal” - Mr. Phuong confided.

Being involved in running competitions since 2020, from a form of entertainment and health training, it has now become an indispensable passion in Mr. Phuong's life.

Initially, when he joined the race, he only challenged himself with short distances such as 5km, 10km. Through the process of physical training, he comfortably conquered longer distances of races such as 21km, 32km or 42km. However, Mr. Phuong did not focus on achievements but only wanted to spread positive energy and health care awareness to everyone.

According to Mr. Phuong, jogging has many benefits from burning excess fat, keeping fit and is also good for the lungs and heart. With a busy job, jogging has helped him maintain his health and relieve stress.

“Participating in running races is also an opportunity for me to connect with the community. I hope that participating in sporting events can encourage people to exercise and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I myself also have more memorable experiences and memories after each run,” said Dr. Quach Truong Phuong.

This year alone, Mr. Phuong has participated in nearly 20 races such as: Ho Chi Minh City Night Run, DakLak Marathon 2024, VPBank Can Tho Music Night Run, Tien Phong Marathon Phu Yen 2024...

Having run in many provinces and cities on famous running routes, for Quach Truong Phuong, the route around Ba Mountain in his hometown is always the place that leaves the most emotions. As for running races, Mr. Phuong has a special affection for Tien Phong Marathon. This is also the first race he participated in in 2020, held in Ly Son.

According to Mr. Phuong, the running movement is very popular, currently most provinces and cities have at least one running race to promote the image of the locality. Running is also an easy sport to play, not requiring elaborate equipment like many other sports. In Tay Ninh, recently there have been many running groups with many members, including many athletes with good results.

No Face appeared on the track with accessories in the colors and flavors of Tet.

Marks on the roads

With a friendly and approachable personality, Mr. Phuong attracts everyone around him with his enthusiasm and dynamism. Every time he appears on the race track, he not only brings smiles to others but also spreads positive energy. His cheerfulness and approachability are vividly expressed through the appearance of the character Vo Dien. First "debut" in 2022, runner "Vo Dien" made a strong impression on the running community and won convincingly in the cosplay category at countless marathons.

Sharing about the idea of cosplaying this character, Quach Truong Phuong confided that he has been attached to the image of Vo Dien for 3 years now. This anime character brings him many emotions, from his kind personality to his mysterious look that does not reveal any emotions on his face. Therefore, even when he is extremely tired on the race track, others cannot see Phuong's expression, but only see a Vo Dien always focused on moving forward.

“I used to compete for running achievements, but due to my busy work schedule, I couldn’t spend much time practicing, I could only run for fun. Therefore, I feel that cosplaying at races is very suitable. Dressing up is not only a personal hobby but also a way for me to express myself. I want people to see that I can run in a tight outfit like this, so everyone can run too,” said Mr. Phuong.

Inside the mysterious No-Face cosplay is a doctor Quach Truong Phuong who is always full of enthusiasm and passion for running.

Not only investing in a neat cosplay costume that looks exactly like a comic book character, at each race, Mr. Phuong also painstakingly designs additional accessories, so that each appearance is always fresh and impressive. Each appearance of Vo Dien follows a unique concept suitable for the locality, sometimes with a shoulder pole carrying all kinds of cakes and fruits, sometimes with a straw bag in hand, a wreath on the head, or accessories that are full of the hometown and rustic features... The most impressive appearance must be the time at the BaDen Mountain Marathon. Vo Dien is close and creates an impression to promote the hometown with a shoulder pole weighing nearly 12kg, carrying all the products of Tay Ninh.

Carefully invested and always fresh, the appearance of the Faceless runner makes the race more special, so marathons all want to have his participation.

Cosplaying to participate in a running race may seem simple at first glance, but in reality it is very laborious, especially wearing the costume throughout the entire run is quite tiring, the costume is tight, easy to get hot and dehydrated. During the Covid-19 epidemic, having to wear protective gear for 12 hours made Dr. Phuong get used to the stuffiness, plus his passion and enthusiasm helped him get used to operating the cosplay costume. From there, he left his own mark on the running tracks.

Not only cosplaying, Mr. Phuong also brings the beauty of kindness when on each route he brings candy, cakes or gifts to volunteers, children, and people on the roadside. Not to mention, he donates all the cosplay prizes he wins to charity activities, because for him, they are awards from the community.

Hoa Khang

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