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Technology Is No Longer on the Sideline for Community Sport Organizers
Dante Bui
December 4, 2025
A lot of people have found a new passion in running in recent years, and with that the number of events from major races to self organized community runs springing out. What began as a scattered network of hobby runners in public parks has grown into one of the most dynamic community-driven sports ecosystems in the country. The clearest evidence is the expansion of large-scale events such as Vietnam Mountain Marathon (VMM) in Sa Pa, VMHCM in Ho Chi Minh City, and DNIM in Đà Nẵng — all of which now attract thousands of participants from across Vietnam and abroad.
These events have professionalized quickly. Registration systems are digital. Timing chips are standard. Race-day logistics meet international expectations.
But there is a structural gap that technology has not yet touched: the training phase – the months before race day, where most of the effort, risk, and community interaction actually occur.
Vietnam’s running communities are evolving into more organized, data-aware groups.However, their digital tools remain fragmented, improvised, and fundamentally limited.
The Maturity of Running Communities in Vietnam: More Than Social Groups
Vietnamese running clubs are no longer just social meetups. Many now operate with the discipline and structure of semi-professional teams:
- Weekly training sessions divided by pace groups
- Scheduled long runs with predefined routes
- Volunteer pacers and run leaders
- Shared warm-up protocols, hydration rules, and safety guidelines
- Community challenges to maintain motivation during off-season
- Heavy use of wearables (Garmin, Coros, Polar) to track performance
What has changed most is mindset. Many runners now follow structured long-term plans to prepare for marathons and ultra-marathons. Clubs work with coaches, analyze performance data, and help members transition from 5 km to 10 km, half-marathon, and beyond.
Yet — despite this sophistication — these clubs are still operating digitally like it’s 2015:
- Training plans shared as static images
- Member management done manually
- Performance review via screenshots in group chats
- Long run safety monitored with nothing more than “text me when you finish”
- No centralized data to monitor training load or injury risk
The progression in behavior has not been matched by progression in technology.
Vietnam’s Races Are Digitally Advanced — But Its Training Ecosystem Is Not
Major Vietnamese races have already implemented digital systems for:
- registration
- electronic waivers
- RFID or chip timing
- live tracking on race day (for selected distances)
- digital results and certificates
These systems are efficient and widely used.
But from a sports-tech perspective, they only address one moment: the event itself.
The training period — which for many runners spans 8 to 16 weeks — remains almost entirely unstructured digitally. This creates concrete limitations:
1. No shared training visibility
Coaches and pace leaders cannot see:
- which members are training consistently
- who is overtraining or undertraining
- who may be at risk of injury
2. No centralized communication system
For many clubs:
- Zalo and Facebook remain the only planning tools
- Losing track of instructions is common
- New members struggle to integrate
3. No collective performance tracking
Although individuals track their runs, the club as a whole has no dashboard to understand:
- group progress
- how many members are ready for race day
- who needs support
- which pace groups need adjustment
4. No digitally supported safety protocol
For long runs — especially in early mornings, busy roads, or trail environments — safety relies on manual check-ins.
These are not minor issues. They affect:
- performance
- training consistency
- safety
- inclusiveness
- member retention
In short: Vietnam has digitized the event, but not the ecosystem around it.
What Digitally Organized Community Sports Look Like (Based on Global Models)
Outside Vietnam, mature community running ecosystems — particularly in Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the US — have developed more structured digital systems to support amateur clubs. The technology is not exotic. It typically includes:
1. Group Training Management Platforms
These allow coaches or club leaders to:
- assign weekly workouts
- adjust plans based on group progress
- manage different training levels (beginner → advanced)
- coordinate pre-race peak weeks
2. Centralized Performance Dashboards
These show aggregated metrics such as:
- weekly total mileage by group
- average pace trends
- rest/recovery patterns
- group readiness for race distances
This is useful because training programs do not progress at individual speeds — they progress as collective programs.
3. Safety and Logistics Tools
Features often include:
- real-time runner location (opt-in)
- route sharing
- automated alerts if someone deviates far from the route
- heat and humidity warnings
4. Community Motivation Systems
Including:
- shared streaks
- virtual badges for consistency
- milestone celebrations
- club-level challenges
These systems support psychological and social dimensions of training – something Vietnamese communities value highly.
5. Administrative Support for Club Operations
- membership management
- fee collection (for clubs that charge)
- event organization
- attendance records
In many countries, this digital layer is now considered basic infrastructure for community sport. Vietnam does not yet have an equivalent.
Why Vietnam Is Ready for This Digital Layer
1. Wearable adoption is strong
Garmin, Coros, and Polar have established large user communities in Vietnam, and their devices produce continuous performance data. This indicates digital readiness.
2. Running tourism and multi-event athletes are rising
Many Vietnamese runners now:
- participate in multiple races a year
- travel to run internationally
- join both road and trail events
Higher commitment → higher need for structured training support.
3. Clubs are becoming de facto training institutions
Some large clubs already operate:
- formal beginner training programs
- certified coaches
- quarterly internal challenges
- internal ranking systems
The operational complexity is increasing.
Digital tools can reduce administrative load and improve member retention.
4. Safety is becoming a priority
As long runs reach 15 km, 20 km, 30 km or more, community leaders want better risk management:
- visibility of group members
- route planning
- weather considerations
- communication in case of incident
Technology can close this gap significantly.
5. Race organizers increasingly value runner preparedness
Better-trained runners:
- reduce medical incidents
- improve race experience
- increase finish rates
- strengthen event reputation
Supporting training is strategically beneficial to organizers.
The Open Opportunity: A Training-Centric Platform for Vietnam’s Community Sports
Vietnam does not need another race registration website.
Vietnam needs a training operations platform for community sports — particularly running. This is still an untapped category globally, not just locally.
A platform built for Vietnamese clubs could enable:
For runners
- structured, personalized training plans
- integration with wearable data
- progress visualization
- improved safety during long runs
For coaches and pace leaders
- performance dashboards
- load monitoring
- automatic reminder systems
- tools to coordinate pace groups
For clubs
- member management
- training calendars
- communication channels designed specifically for running
- centralized knowledge base for training guidelines
For race organizers
- insights into runner preparedness
- opportunities for training partnerships
- promotion channels tied to actual training behavior
This is not a small niche. It is the backbone of a rapidly expanding amateur sport.
Community Sports in Vietnam Are Becoming Systems — and Systems Need Software
Vietnam’s running boom is real, and it shows no sign of slowing. What began as an individual pursuit has grown into a networked, disciplined, community-driven ecosystem.
The next step is the digital layer that helps that ecosystem operate smoothly:
- more structure
- more safety
- more inclusiveness
- more performance insights
Community sports are becoming digitally organized — not by replacing coaches or leaders, but by empowering them.
And in this transition, there is space for technology companies to shape the next generation of Vietnam’s sport communities.
Our team has worked with sports organizations, digital communities, and data-focused consumer applications across Southeast Asia, giving us a close look at how community-driven sports evolve once digital infrastructure catches up. If your organization is exploring how to build tools for training management, group performance intelligence, or community engagement in sport, we’re always open to discussing ideas and potential collaborations.
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