Cover Story: Le Hong Minh, Trinh Bang, and the handshake that set the foundation for the IRONMAN ecosystem in Vietnam

Minh also raced in this year’s full-distance IRONMAN. Going from gym workouts and shorter running events to an endurance challenge of this magnitude is no small leap. Did you ever imagine that you would one day be able to do it?

Le Hong Minh (M): I think life is full of things we never imagine ourselves doing, until one day we do them. My starting point was very different from Bang’s. I was a nerdy geek. Sports were never part of my upbringing. Through my twenties, and even after founding VNG at the age of 26, I was intensely focused on work. By the time I turned 30, I was dealing with two major health issues simultaneously: spinal problems and stomach-related conditions. My doctor told me that while treatment could improve my immediate situation, there was no guarantee of long-term health unless I changed my lifestyle.

That was a pivotal moment. I began taking exercise seriously, although I did not really start running until I was 36. To be honest, I hated it. Compared to lifting weights in the gym, running felt incredibly boring. Then, around 2013, my close friend Al Morgan and I signed up for one of Vietnam’s earliest half-marathons. From there, things progressed step by step. Later, when Bang and I shook hands on VNG becoming a sponsor of the first IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam, he gave me one condition: I had to race it myself.

So, in reality, it was you, Bang, who convinced Minh to take on IRONMAN?

B: At the time, we were looking for sponsors to help bring this idea to life. Introducing an entirely new concept to a country is never easy, especially when many people don't believe it can succeed, or don't even know what it is.

I vividly remember running into Minh at a hotel one morning in November 2014, and he asked whether I had found a sponsor. I told him I had, and that sponsor was him. He looked at me with some surprise and then said, “I am your friend, I have company, how much?” I was then the one surprised and hesitated for a moment before giving him a  number. We shook hands, and I gave him one condition: he had to race as well. 

And he said yes.

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So the two of you were not only the organiser and sponsor, but also participants on the course yourselves. What has that unique experience been like?

M: Before racing this year’s event, I had already completed two full-distance IRONMAN races alongside Bang at Kona, Hawaii and the race has a distance equivalent to the IRONMAN at Challenge Roth (Germany). They were, in many ways, birthday gifts he gave me when I turned 40 and 45.

About three years ago, we started asking ourselves a question: could we bring a full-distance IRONMAN to Vietnam? From that point on, we worked relentlessly to make it happen. We wanted to create an exceptional event, the one that would introduce Vietnam to the international endurance community while delivering an unforgettable experience for every athlete standing on that start line.

B: Triathlon has been a part of my life since 1997, and it transformed me completely. So I’ve always asked myself: how do we enable more people to experience that same transformation? In some ways, convincing Minh to do IRONMAN was a very deliberate decision. He leads one of Vietnam’s most influential technology companies. He inspires people around him. And over the past decade, he has demonstrated exactly what is possible.

Triathlon transformed him. It transformed his organisation as well. Back in the early days, he was practically the only person standing on the start line. This year, there were 14 VNG athletes on the start line of the full-distance IRONMAN, along with many more competing in the 70.3 race.

Back in 2015, if you had asked most people about running a marathon or completing an IRONMAN, the answer would probably have been, “I could never do that.” Yet after years of persistence, Vietnam now hosts countless marathons every year, as well as its first full-distance IRONMAN. Having observed, worked alongside and raced with this community over the past 11 years, what has been the most significant change?

B: When we started, there was virtually no infrastructure and no ecosystem to support a sport like IRONMAN. Athletes couldn’t buy sports nutrition. They couldn’t easily purchase bikes. There were no specialised stores and very few resources available. Yet somehow, over the years, we’ve built a much healthier and more vibrant ecosystem - one capable of supporting growth and allowing us to dream bigger.

If you want to understand the economic impact of IRONMAN, you only need to walk through the transition area in Da Nang. The bicycles alone represent nearly US$15 million in value, and today around 40 per cent of those bikes belong to Vietnamese athletes. That, in itself, says something remarkable about Vietnam’s development over the past decade.

We often talk about GDP growth and macroeconomic indicators. But when you get down to the boots on the ground and look at what is actually happening in people’s lives, an event like this becomes a fascinating lens through which to understand the country’s transformation.

Taking IRONMAN in Vietnam from the 70.3 format to a full-distance race is about far more than doubling the race distance. It also requires elevating the organiser, sponsors and athletes to international standards. Why did you feel this was the right moment, and how did you make it happen?

B: One of the things I am most proud of when I look back on IRONMAN’s journey in Vietnam over the past decade is how the IRONMAN organisation itself has changed its perception of what is happening here.

In the early days, Vietnam’s potential as triathlon and sports tourism destination was untested. Today, IRONMAN sees something very different. They increasingly believe that what is being built here may represent part of the future of global endurance sport.

I still remember how hard we had to work to earn the right to host the IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship in 2019. People often don’t see what happens behind the scenes, but every year IRONMAN sends representatives to evaluate the event, review our operations and assess our progress.

Now, after witnessing what has taken place in Da Nang, the conversation has evolved dramatically. We are discussing opportunities related to the IRONMAN Pro Series and even exploring what it might take to host an IRONMAN World Championship in Vietnam.

They want to bring professional athletes back to Vietnam and continue elevating the country's profile on the global sporting stage, something that would never have entered the conversation a decade ago.

What is equally rewarding is hearing directly from international athletes. They benchmark Vietnam against races across the region and consistently tell us how much they appreciate the infrastructure, the hospitality and the food. They love the fact that the people organising the event are also athletes themselves - people who are out on the race course rather than simply managing it from the sidelines.

To hear that kind of feedback is incredibly special.

Now that the goal of hosting Vietnam’s first full-distance IRONMAN has become a reality, what comes next for triathlon and endurance sports in general?

M: In the first IRONMAN 70.3 Vietnam in 2015, there were only 54 Vietnamese athletes on the start line. This year, 1,755 Vietnamese people participated in the IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3, SUNRISE SPRINT TRIATHLON, and IRONKIDS races. If you look at the bigger picture over the past decade, I believe at least 10,000 Vietnamese have attempted an IRONMAN. And those 10,000 people have probably influenced another 100,000 people around them.

Over the same period, more than 100,000 people have participated in organised running races. We often say that for every person who signs up for a race, there are another ten people running in their own way, whether recreationally or as part of a healthier lifestyle.

By that logic, Vietnam already has around one million runners. So now we need a bigger goal. Perhaps the next ambition is 10 million runners within the next decade - one in every ten Vietnamese. We’ve spent a great deal of time discussing how to make that happen. And I think what we’ve earned over the last ten years is the right to dream bigger.

In your view, what does Vietnam need to do to prepare for that wave of growth, particularly when it comes to the future potential of triathlon?

B: Vietnam is still very much in a building phase. That gives us a unique opportunity. As we think about new cities, new infrastructure and new public spaces, we can redesign and reimagine Vietnam's role - not only as a sporting nation, but also as a global leader in preventative healthcare and healthy living.

The progress we’ve already witnessed has been remarkable. Today, Vietnamese athletes are competitive enough to pursue qualification slots for world championships. Ten years ago, simply crossing the finish line was considered a major achievement.

That progress naturally leads to bigger questions. How do we expand programmes such as IRONKIDS? How do we address the reality that nearly 80 per cent of Vietnamese children are not getting enough physical activity? As a father of four, what excites me most is not just seeing elite athletes compete, but seeing children grow up in a Vietnam where movement is part of everyday life.

As we often say, strong people create a strong nation. The benefits of a healthier population extend far beyond sport. They create a multiplier effect across healthcare, society and even the economy. Healthy people are more productive. That is true for companies, organisations and entire countries.

And when I look at the ecosystem and community that are taking shape today, I genuinely believe we are approaching an important inflection point. SEV now organises some of the largest marathons in the country, with participation numbers approaching 25,000 runners. The question is no longer how big these events can become. The more important question is: how do we get the community involved? What does it mean to create meaningful participation at scale? And ultimately, how can sport help Vietnam show up in a completely different way on the global stage?

M: I’m a technology guy, so I naturally tend to think in layers, almost like a technology stack. The foundation, of course, has to be infrastructure. We need more running paths, more cycling lanes and more accessible spaces for people to be active. Today, we’re already seeing discussions around building cycling infrastructure, swimming facilities, parks and more green public spaces. That signals a growing recognition from the government of the importance of healthy living.

But I hope it won’t stop there. I would also like to see organisations and companies invest more seriously in that infrastructure, because it is foundational to everything else.

The next layer is what we call the ecosystem, which Bang has been talking about. We need more organisations like SEV and VNG. We need more stakeholders participating, contributing and helping to strengthen this ecosystem.

At the very top are the applications built on top of that ecosystem - the IRONMAN races, running events, sports clubs and all the activities that inspire people to get involved. Ultimately, the goal of that layer is simple: 10 million healthy and active people.

Today, I also wore another hat as President of the Vietnam Triathlon Federation (VTF). Triathlon is an Olympic sport and is increasingly being recognised as a serious competitive discipline. One of the challenges we face, however, is that the sport still has not received the level of support it deserves - from organisations, businesses and government alike.

Clearly, the goal is to encourage as many people as possible to become active. If you were speaking to someone who has never exercised regularly but wants to improve their health, or perhaps even dreams of doing an IRONMAN one day, what would you say to them?

B: The most important thing is simply to start. Not everyone needs to jump straight into IRONMAN. It took me nine years from my first triathlon before I completed a half IRONMAN, and several more years before I finished a full-distance race. The reality is much simpler than people think. Put on a pair of running shoes. Run a few kilometres. Sign up for an event. Start training. Begin experiencing what it feels like to become healthier day by day.

What we're trying to do is create sustainable playgrounds - places and communities that help people begin that journey. At the same time, we’re working to help policymakers recognise the value of what is being built here, so that investment in infrastructure is viewed through a broader lens. Not just physical infrastructure, but preventative healthcare infrastructure as well.

M: This is something I often talk about. When it comes to endurance, there are two essential ingredients. The first is a system. In other words, you need consistency. You need to train regularly and keep showing up every day so that when race day arrives, you're ready.

The second is a goal. You need a race to work toward. You need a target date. You need something that pushes you to improve, to chase a new personal best, to become a little better each time.

So success comes from the combination of a system and a goal. Without both, it becomes very difficult to sustain progress. That’s why I often tell my friends and my team: sign up for a race. Once you’ve registered, there’s a deadline. There’s a commitment. There’s accountability. But ultimately, it all comes back to the same thing: Start. 

For me, sport is one of the greatest anchors in life. It gives people something healthy to build around, not only for the body, but perhaps even more importantly, for the mind and the spirit. And the positive effects don’t stay within sport. They spill over into every other aspect of life. I’ve never met a great athlete who wasn’t also a good human being.

Thank you both for sharing such thoughtful and candid insights.

This article is from Tatler Vietnam’s June 2026 issue.

CREDITS:

Starring: Le Hong Minh, Trinh Bang 

Editor-in-Chief: Nikita Chu

Managing Editor: Hai Yen Ho

Art Director: Andy Trần

Photographer: Lê Lai 

Producer: Joanne Dao

Videographer: GONU, Vy Lê

Set Designer: Minh Đo

Designer: Chau Duong, Dinh Gia Kiet

Social: Pham Gia Khanh, Minh Nhi

Set Design Assistant: Minh Nhật, Quốc Việt 

Furniture: District Eight

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