Thailand running - 5km, 10km and half-marathons

**prawnograph** · 03-01-2024, 03:45 PM

Ribs
Spare ribs, anyone?
Almost five weeks now and my suggested recovery time of either 4-6 weeks or 6-8 weeks looks very much like the second option. Cycling is OK - 52km yesterday without bother but avoiding hills, swimming improving, running a 'no'. I could post in the daily moan thread as morning is worst until I'm moving.
Sunday 7th Jan fun run becomes another no-fun walk, and have traded entries for next month Feb 11th - a hill trail run on the coast swapped for a flat road walk in the city as regardless of recovery I won't be up to speed by then.
But I have manged to get the first coast of paint on almost all the house and boundary walls - after months of procrastination; not as if I don't have the time.

**prawnograph** · 09-01-2024, 05:15 PM

Another Sunday another fun run, the Run With Press 5/10/21km; jogged rather than walk or run, nice course for sunrise passing over the Chanthaburi river Taksin Maharat bridge

And good scheme - after the finish line the Chanthaburi Athletics Club were set up to take entries for their 5/10km on 18 February.

**DrWilly** · 11-01-2024, 10:45 AM

Looks fabulous!

**prawnograph** · 23-02-2024, 10:49 AM

Things to do at 5am on a Sunday

11 February. This was a run/walk to raise funds towards restoration of a meditation centre building in Chantanamit. Very casual, non-competitive there was also a 3km walk that had as many entrants as the run. Perhaps they were meditating along the way. Top marks for the after event - hot food, fruit and cold drinks, the Happy Line Dance group performance, we'd planned on breakfast at a cafe on the way home but no need for that.

18 February. The Chanthaburi M-Seven 5 & 10km from the provincial stadium; all proceeds to Chanthaburi youth athletics club and this was the most 'serious' of the six we've been in recently, with various athletics club teams taking part, told about 800 in total.

A rock concert-style start with music, smoke machines and a fireworks display to wake up any centre city dwellers. Under 19s picked up most of the overall prizemoney, while the only 'international' entrant, that would be me, announced on the podium as 'the man from New Zealand' got an age group trophy (little competition in the 90-99 age group).

Next - we're heading 90km south to Trat next month a 9km event around a reservoir lake, a Saturday 6pm start this time. Two 10kms in Chanthaburi for May. Wasn't aware the (cancelled 2023) Khitchakut Uphill 5/17/28km had been rescheduled to 21 April till too late and entries had closed when maximum entry numbers reached.

**prawnograph** · 03-04-2024, 03:15 PM

Trat City Night Fun Run
Saturday 30 March 2024

Our 7th fun run event in 5 months, Saturday afternoon we headed 90km south to Trat; crossing the provincial boundary the highway lined with the red/white elephant flags of old Siam as the week before there had been commemoration of the 23 March 1906 end of the French military occupation here.
Run had originally been noted as 9km but changed for whatever reason to 7.7km.
36C daytime, for the 8.30pm start it cooled to 29C and 91% humidity.
Interesting course, started at Sra Si Siat reservoir lake, up a hill and a loop through the grounds of the oldest temple in the region Wat Buppharam, rural road then through the town, mapped to pass the local tourist spots set up for night-time photo opportunities. Didn't enter, but they'd set up an app for entrants that involved marking off and photographing places along the way.
Cold drinks available every 1500m. The last about 800m ran through the night food market, tempted to stop for a snack, vendors and customers lining the route to cheer us on.
Part of the way we were accompanied by a Tourist Policeman on a mountainbike, armed in case he had to shoot anyone taking a shortcut. Think they're required to be fluent in a second language I hope his wasn't English as his conversation was limited to to "Very good, very good, happy, happy"
Overall we'd rate it as the best organised of any event we've been in - focus on promoting local tourism, good sponsorship incl hotel deals, so many volunteers along the course.
Major spot prize of the night was a family holiday flights and accomm with Bangkok Airways (who own Trat Airport) to Chiang Mai - just wait till the smoke dies down.

Local events on hold around Songkran, wait for two 10kms in May - Khung Wiman and Chanthaburi City Night Run

Time to get running, Sra Si Siat reservoir

**Mandaloopy** · 07-04-2024, 04:08 PM

Nice thread! Got into running in Ulaanbator, but yet to do a run in Thailand. Decided to register for a half marathon around Suan Luang Park on May 12, it will also take in Nong Bon Water Park too. Was planning a full marathon, but for some reason this sinus infection really knocked me for six; I don't usually get sick!

**katie23** · 07-04-2024, 04:44 PM

Nice thread, just saw this now.

The Kenyans & other Africans who join - are they expats/ residents or are they "pro runners" who fly to different countries to join these events?

**prawnograph** · 09-04-2024, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by katie23

Nice thread, just saw this now.

The Kenyans & other Africans who join - are they expats/ residents or are they "pro runners" who fly to different countries to join these events?

The Africans were in Thailand for the big prizemoney events incl the Bangsaen half marathon - unsure if any stay in the country, or race elsewhere and return for the the Buriram marathon in Feb - saw a news article about 30 from Africa flew in for Bangsaen; a little pocket money for them winning minor provincial level (top prizes 10,000 baht for m/f); entries close a month prior to the events, so they plan their build-up events here and are used in pre-race media promotion. Afterwards they stayed around for photos with locals, helps build the event for the next one. The night run won by two Kenyans featured the burnt-out-Belgian I spoke to him after the race said he'd 'died' very early on simply couldn't cope in the heat/humidity, drastic climate change

**Edmond** · 09-04-2024, 11:40 AM

**katie23** · 09-04-2024, 12:31 PM

^^thanks for the reply, prawn.

I've always wondered about those pro African runners. Who finances them - airfare, lodging, food, etc? Are they financed by their govts or do they fund themselves?

It's a different case than for example, an athletic person from New York flying to England for the London marathon because it's in the bucket list. (just thinking out loud)

@eddie - interesting pic there, thnx!

**david44** · 09-04-2024, 02:57 PM

I think they have sponsors, not sure if it's global or domestic media or brands.

For Education and trainng popoise the Thai method is

1 Crash a bus or minivan

2 Run as fast as possible

3 repeat 2 until name change the back to 1, run and repeat

Go Forest go

For Kenyan Runners, Winning Can Be a Road to Ruin

The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com › 2019/04/22 › sports › keny..
22 Apr 2019 — The win was worth big money for Kibet, who, like most of his running peers, had grown up poor. He earned $180,000, including his appearance fee

**PlanK** · 16-04-2024, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by katie23

I've always wondered about those pro African runners. Who finances them - airfare, lodging, food, etc? Are they financed by their govts or do they fund themselves?

Some good money to made in letting other runners win?

Even the locals in Beijing are saying this was just a little bit too obvious...

**katie23** · 16-04-2024, 07:21 AM

^I haven't been in the company of many Africans but I have a friend who did. He lived in a dorm (in Europe) and in his dorm, there were loads of Africans. He said that the Kenyans were like gazelles - built differently. Tall, slender, not overly muscular - it's as if they're bodies were made for running. One can see their body type in the above vid ^ by Plan K.

**prawnograph** · 26-04-2024, 10:55 AM

104.
Oldest I've seen in local events was an 84yr old running 5km

Lester Wright, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, ran the fastest 100m ever for a centenarian, clocking 26.34 seconds at the Penn Relays on Saturday.May 2, 2022.

**katie23** · 26-04-2024, 12:01 PM

^Wow, good onya, grandpa Mr Sawang & Mr. Wright!

Seeing that pic made me think of the Indian/ Sikh Grandpa who ran marathons & who was quite an Internet celeb at the time. His outfits were sponsored by major sports companies (forgot if Nike or Adidas). I searched a bit and found out that he's still alive and is now 113 yrs old. He's living with his family in the UK. He retired from running in 2013 but he's still alive. Fauja Singh.

Fauja Singh - Wikipedia

Fauja Singh: World’s oldest runner, 102, finds peace | CNN

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