Run, Run, Run in Phuket

Rather than warming their beds for an 2 extra hours in the mornings, there are a number of both residents and visitors to Phuket who would rather maintain their health by partaking in an early morning run, be it in one of the islands parks where runners can enjoy the vast amounts of flora and fauna on display, on one of the stretches of golden sanded beaches whilst listing to the waves crash down besides them, or for those braver runners, on the busy roads as cars speed past. Of course, these runners don’t only enjoy running in the mornings, for some, running at sunset or the end of the day is one of their favorite things to do. There are also some, who enjoy the added thrill of running after dark, as it’s a bit more intense, perhaps even a little bit spooky. However, most are sensible enough to avoid running in heat and humidity of the day, and putting themselves at risk for dehydration, heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.

The runners we talk about in the previous paragraph are what some might class as casual runners, or perhaps even joggers, those who simply love the feeling they get from running. However, there are also many runners here in Phuket who strive to beat their personal records, break the records of others, and cross the finish line first in races.

But it doesn’t matter whether you’re a fun or serious runner there are a number of fantastic routes people can try, and there are also now international races taking place on the island for those who like a bit of a challenge.

Laguna Phuket International Marathon 

Since 2005, the Laguna Phuket International Marathon has been a part of the international calendar as one of the top marathon events in Asia, especially for the general running-community. Maybe not listed amongst the elite marathons of the world, the Laguna Phuket International Marathon is organized by a private company. However, the race-route has been approved by the AIMs and about 6,000 athletes are part of this annual event, representing over 50-countries.

The event always features a Marathon, Half Marathon, 10.5K Run, 91.5FM Phuket 5K Community Walk and a 2K Kids Run, and is a fun and family oriented affair. The race course has water stations every 2K providing water, sponges, electrolytes and fruits. Mobile toilets are placed at regular intervals and the course is marked at every kilometre.
The Course

The Laguna Phuket International Marathon is a simple race-route that takes athletes out of Laguna Phuket integrated resort, and towards local villages. Most of the route passes through some brilliant countryside and the roads are quite smooth and relatively flat. There is a lot of visual beauty to aid the fast, flat route that poses no real challenge to the athletes. Temperatures, in the region, can get quite high so the early start to the race is always welcome. However, athletes who take too long to finish will get sucked into the high-humidity and temperature problems that come from being in this part of the world.

From its humble beginnings with less than 2,000 participants the event has grown to a size of more than 4,000 participants, with an average of 1,500 international participants from 50 countries.

Dates have not yet been set for the 2015 event, but information will be available soon via http://phuketmarathon.com/

Neon Night Run 

Phuket’s new sporting central Thanyapura organized a successful inaugural Neon Night Run & Party on 31 May 2014, attracting more than 300 participants. The event has been created to welcome the community to enjoy a fun active healthy lifestyle in an outdoor carnival style party.

The Neon Night Run is a unique, fun running party, with races distances for both young and old, plus great music and colorful bright lights. The event is fun for the whole family with BBQ, stalls, kids entertainment, face painting, prizes for best NEON costumes, glow sticks, etc. In addition, schools can enter to compete to win the new Thanyapura Cup.

The Course:

The course is safely secured inside Thanyapura property mainly located in Thanyapura 500m running track with finish arch and chute decorated. The event also features retail vendors, kid’s entrainment as well as music pumping throughout the whole evening.

Age Group Categories / Formats:

• Kids: 4-5yrs  500m;  6-8yrs  1km;  9-12yrs  2km;  13-16yrs  3km (school kids compete for School Cup)
• 1500m run for teachers & school parents to earn points for School Cup
• 5km fun run/walk open to everyone including strollers
• 2km Open Relay for teams of 4 runners each completing 500m

The next event will be their Halloween Neon Night Run on 1st November 2014 starting from 5pm. Everyone is welcome to enter the 5K Fun Run, Kids Fun Runs and team relays. For more information please contact +66 (0) 76-336 000.