Nguyen Dinh Hau finishes with a 2:50:52 personal record in Hai Phong
Nguyen Dinh Hau crossed the finish line looking as if he might cry or laugh. At the 2025 VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong, the 2003-born runner posted a personal marathon record of 2:50:52, while still feeling frustrated that he missed his sub-2:49 target.
On December 21, 2025, Hau arrived with a best time of around 2 hours 54 minutes. He set out to break 2:45 and followed a group led by national team runner Pham Thi Hong Le, before the race changed dramatically in its closing kilometers.
The new mark improved his previous record by around four minutes. The joy of a personal best, the relief of reaching the finish and the disappointment of dropping his bib all appeared in one emotional moment that even Hau found amusing.
The race unfolds: From a sub-2:45 target to trouble at kilometer 40
The first 28 kilometers went smoothly. Hau held his planned rhythm, but from kilometer 30, fatigue began to take over. His pace dropped, and he had to walk briefly at one point.
When his confidence was at its lowest, fellow runner Tuan “Coi” from VKL club encouraged him to keep moving:
🏃 “Just keep running and see how far you can get.”
Hau gradually recovered his rhythm at around 3:55–4:00 per kilometer. Just as the race appeared to be settling again, a problem struck at kilometer 40: his bib had become wet from repeated water dousing and tore when he swung his arm.
Worried that his result might not be recorded, Hau immediately turned back to pick it up. The incident cost him nearly one minute, and he had to stop before accelerating again on already tired legs. He tucked the bib into his waistband and continued, even as he briefly thought the race was lost and there was no reason to push on.
Key race data: times, distances and turning points
| Race marker or metric | Data | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Race date | December 21, 2025 | Hau competed at the 2025 VnExpress Marathon Hai Phong |
| Previous best | Around 2:54 | The baseline for Hau’s new target |
| Original target | Sub-2:45 | His plan before the start |
| Running group | Pham Thi Hong Le | Hau followed the national team runner’s group |
| First 28 km | Smooth progress | The race initially followed plan |
| From km 30 | Leg fatigue, slower pace and brief walking | The main physical turning point |
| Recovered rhythm | Around 3:55–4:00/km | Hau regained speed before the final section |
| Km 40 | Bib became wet, tore and fell | Hau turned back to retrieve it |
| Time lost | Nearly one minute | He had to stop and accelerate again |
| Finish time | 2:50:52 | A new personal marathon record |
| Improvement | Around four minutes | Faster than his previous record |
| Missed target | Sub-2:49 | The source of his late-race regret |
- Personal record: Hau finished in 2:50:52, improving his previous mark by around four minutes.
- Physical turning point: From kilometer 30, leg fatigue forced him to slow down and walk briefly.
- Bib incident: The wet bib tore and fell at kilometer 40, costing nearly one minute.
- Finish-line resolve: After retrieving and securing the bib in his waistband, Hau accelerated again to complete the race.
The final two kilometers: resilience, problem-solving and a lasting memory
The bib incident showed how a small detail can affect both a marathon result and a runner’s state of mind. Dousing yourself with water can help with cooling, but runners also need to keep an eye on the bib’s position and condition, especially late in the race.
Hau briefly felt that his race was over after the incident at kilometer 40. He kept going anyway, pushed through the fatigue and completed the course with a personal record he will remember for a long time.
Hau started running in early 2023 to improve his health. He later began following a structured training plan from coach Vu Dinh Duan, gradually building the foundation for his progress in marathon racing.
For Hau, the closing kilometers are always a major test of willpower. Despite his disappointment over the time, he would not change the final two kilometers in Hai Phong because the incident became part of the race’s most personal memory.
🏃 “Sometimes those final two kilometers carry so many memories and emotions that I could never buy them back.”
A marathon is measured by more than a watch. The result matters, but so does the ability to keep moving toward the finish after a moment that makes the entire race feel broken. For Nguyen Dinh Hau, 2:50:52 is therefore more than a number: it is the record of a runner who chose to stay with the course.
