Nguyen Van Khang: From Vovinam martial artist to inspirational runner of Vietnamese running

TPO - On the last morning of the year in Ho Chi Minh City, when groups of students were still rushing to class, a young man had already finished a 10km run before dawn. His face was covered in sweat, his breathing was steady, his steps were decisive, and his eyes were bright as if he always saw a new opportunity to move forward.

That is Nguyen Van Khang (20 years old), a name that is being mentioned a lot in the amateur running community and the Vietnamese athletics world. Few people know that Khang's journey did not start on the running track, but on the martial arts mat, where he spent nearly a decade dedicating himself to the Vovinam of Kien Giang province, before embarking on the challenging path of professional athletics.

Turn to athletics to find yourself

From a young age, Khang showed his passion for sports. Every afternoon after school, the boy from Kien Giang went to the martial arts field, diligently practicing each basic move, each breath, each movement according to the strict rules of martial arts. His diligence and perseverance brought him to the provincial vovinam team, competing for 9 consecutive years. Heavy training sessions, stressful competition days, and times of being out of breath until his lungs burned were part of Khang's youth.

When he went to Ho Chi Minh City to study at the University of Physical Education and Sports , Khang continued to wear the shirt of the Ho Chi Minh City Vovinam team. And it was here that he started running with the initial goal of only training his physical strength. But the more he ran, the more Khang realized: Running not only helped him become healthier, but also opened up a completely different world, where will and perseverance determined success more than technique.

Nguyen Van Khang competes for the Ho Chi Minh City Athletics Team

In the fiercely competitive martial arts environment, Khang always wondered what his long-term path would be. Martial arts gave him a foundation of strength and agility, but athletics gave him a greater sense of freedom and the ability to express himself clearly.

After a period of hesitation, in March 2024, Khang made a bold decision: Leaving martial arts to join the Ho Chi Minh City Athletics Team, starting his career in middle-distance running events such as 800m and 1,500m. This change surprised many people. But for Khang, it was a proactive move. “I feel I am more suited to running. I want to challenge myself and see how far I can go,” Khang shared.

After only 3 months of intensive training, Nguyen Van Khang has proven that his decision to switch to athletics was completely correct. At the National Youth Athletics Championship, the new athlete from Ho Chi Minh City excellently won the Bronze Medal in the 800m event with a time of 1 minute 57 seconds, an impressive result for a rookie athlete. Not stopping there, after two months of training on the Da Lat plateau, Khang continued to improve his performance, reaching 1 minute 53 seconds and ranked 4th in the National Athletics Championship in the 800m event, a clear step forward that was highly appreciated by experts. At the 1,500m distance, Khang also made his mark with a time of 3 minutes 56 seconds, showing great potential in middle distances and the rapid progress of an aspiring young athlete.

Nguyen Van Khang always gives his all on the track

Being called up to the Vietnam Athletics Team to prepare for the 33rd SEA Games is an important milestone, but Khang surprised many people when he did not accept. He shared: "I want to practice more and accumulate more experience so that when I join the team in 2027, I can really compete." This decision did not come from hesitation, but from the desire to fully express himself, along with the belief that the 2027 SEA Games is the most ripe time.

In addition to training, Khang is also in his third year of university. Balancing study and sports is not easy, but he said that as long as he has a clear plan, everything is possible. “I still have one more year to graduate. I want to finish my studies well before focusing on the SEA Games,” Khang said.

Nguyen Van Khang has been involved in martial arts for 9 years.

Shine in the running community

With a foundation of speed from medium distances, Khang quickly stood out when he started participating in domestic amateur running races. His light steps, flexible legs and ability to maintain a fast pace helped him become a “5km phenomenon” in the amateur running community.

Within a year, Khang has won a series of large and small tournaments, leaving a strong impression wherever he has set foot, such as: Phan Thiet Marathon 2024, Can Tho Heritage Marathon 2024, HCM City Marathon 2025, Run to Live 2025, Da Nang International Marathon 2025, VnExpress Marathon Hue 2025, VnExpress Marathon Ha Long 2025, Hau Giang International Marathon 2025, VnExpress Marathon Nha Trang 2025, Ha Long Bay Heritage Marathon 2025, VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight 2025... Although he only followed the strategy of "running steadily - keeping pace - accelerating", Khang still made many other amateur athletes admire his ability to maintain high speed.

Khang’s best 5km time to date is 15 minutes and 15 seconds, set at the Da Nang International Marathon 2025, a number that shows the potential for him to step up to the next level if he continues to train in the right direction. But most of all, fans love Khang not only for his achievements, but also for his friendliness, humility and the demeanor of a guy who knows where he’s coming from and has clear goals for the future.

Although he has only been running for a little over a year, Nguyen Van Khang has achieved many impressive results.

Last year, Khang participated for the first time in the National Marathon and Long Distance Championship of Tien Phong Newspaper in the 10km race of the Ho Chi Minh City Athletics Team. It was a memorable experience, where he clearly felt the harshness but also the great attraction of the top traditional tournament in Vietnam.

Returning this year to the Tien Phong Half Marathon, Khang did not set a target, as most of his time was spent training with the team. He saw this as an opportunity to gain experience, gain experience, and if he could break his own record, all the better.

On the racetrack, Khang still maintains his martial artist spirit: never giving up, never afraid of pain, never afraid of challenges. The only thing that has changed is that the kicking has given way to running, and the fierce shouts on the mat have become the steady breathing of an aspiring young runner.

As Khang himself once said, “I don’t need much, just need to be right. I’m not good at speaking well, I just know how to try every day.” And Khang has always kept his promise.

On his journey from a boxer to an inspirational runner, Nguyen Van Khang has proven that every path can lead to success if we are brave enough to choose and persistent enough to pursue. Khang came to running to overcome his own limits, to improve every day, and so that in 2027 he can confidently stand in the colors of Vietnam at the SEA Games. The future is still long. But with the disciplined spirit of a boxer and the enduring heart of a runner, young Nguyen Van Khang will certainly continue to write beautiful stories on every path he takes.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/nguyen-van-khang-tu-vo-si-vovinam-den-runner-truyen-cam-hung-cua-chay-bo-viet-nam-post1802910.tpo