Runner couple host marathon themed wedding

Tung, 36, and Trang, 28, both familiar faces in the marathon community, had a novel idea when it came to their wedding by giving the groom a challenge on his big day.

At 4 a.m. on July 11, Tung woke up to prepare for "the most important marathon of his life," from Quang Xuong to Hoang Hoa District of the central Thanh Hoa Province, which is a 19-km distance.

About 1 hour and 38 minutes later, Tung arrived at the wedding to meet his bride, dressed in an elegant white ao dai. After many marathons, the couple finally reached their finish line.

"Running from home to collect the bride is a memory I will never forget," Tung said.

He added their wedding was pretty simple and followed Covid-19 prevention measures, with only family members and close friends in attendance.

Tung became a member of the Thanh Hoa Runners club after getting acquainted at VPBank Hanoi Marathon 2019.

"I was impressed with how they finished the full marathon despite having small physics, so I joined the club and practiced with them. That’s how I met my wife," Tung said.

The wedding celebration of Dam Danh Tung and Le Trang, July 2021. Photo courtesy of Dam Danh Tung.

In June 2020, Tung took part in a marathon across Vietnam with other amateur runners. It took 284 hours for 10 runners with a support crew to finish their journey from Lang Son to Ca Mau Province. Trang was in the logistic team. After the journey, love had little choice but to blossom.

"It was midnight when I finished the second phase of the journey from Hoa Binh to Thanh Hoa. I was so tired and sleepy so she drove me on her motorbike. I was nearly falling off the bike due to sleepiness, but she still didn’t let me hug her for support," Tung laughingly recalled.

A year after the memorable marathon across Vietnam, Tung and Trang tied the knot.