Warm Up
As mentioned in my On Running post, a race is a great way to explore a new place.
After looking up things to do in Chiang Mai, I saw there was a race at the weekend, with events ranging from 3k up to the full 42k marathon. Given my recent training (or lack thereof), the 10k sounded like it would be the best option. The registration on the website was closed so I popped them an email to see if I could register on the day. This was the response:
Hello, we are currently accepting on-site registrations for the 42k and 3k distances only, from the 20th to the 21st of this month. If any runners are interested, they can come to register on-site during these dates. Thank you!
What an absolute curve ball. It didn’t seem worth it for a 3k race, but was I able for a full marathon? Only one way to find out.
The race course
Registration on Saturday secured my spot in the 42k full marathon. The start time a little over 12 hours away, at 3am on Sunday.
The expo itself took place at the Tha Phae Gate—a popular tourist destination in Chiang Mai’s Old Town—and I was able to pick up some supplies: a hat, a pair of shorts, and, most importantly of all, gels. All very reasonably priced too.
They had some gimmicky games around as well so naturally I had to check them out.
A 2013 Western Brigade Falling Plates Team Champion takes aim
Race Day
The remainder of Saturday was spent in bed. Dozing in and out of sleep and basically wondering “wtf am I at”. Eventually got up and made my way to the Tha Phae Gate for 2am, where there was a great juxtaposition of athletes doing their pre-race prep on one side of the road, and party people still boozing on the other. And there was me, standing at the crossroads!
I got more into the groove during the warm up, and even bumped into a lad from the Lumphini run in Bangkok. A friendly English chap and excellent runner who finished 4th overall.
I then met a sound Dub—both us of wearing Irish clobber like beacons. Similar to myself, he was just passing through and thought it’d be something to do. We had a good laugh at how reluctant we felt just an hour ago and then wished each other well, as the race was about to begin!
An early start
And we’re off!
Race breakdown
The race began at 3am; the struggle began at 25k
| KM | Experience |
|---|---|
| 📍 0-1k | Eased into the race with a slow start. |
| 🏛 1-8k | Looped around the Old Town, feeling grand. |
| 🎵 8k - Music mishap | Hey Yeah on repeat (possibly put in my head based on me staying at a place called HeyHa) but my YT Music app crashed at 5k—now just me, my thoughts, and my breathing. |
| ⚡ 8-16k – Fuelling up | First gel at 8k. Long, steady road. Second gel at 16k. Feeling good. |
| 🏃 16-24k – Picking up pace | Chased down some packs, averaging sub-5min/km. Third gel at 24k. Feeling great. |
| 💀 25k – Hitting the wall | Oh no. Felt like I was hitting the walls at the Tha Phae Gate at full force. |
| 🚶 28-39k – Survival mode | Run-walk strategy. Breaking it down into manageable blocks. My goal times slipping away—3:29, 3:39, 3:44… RIP. |
| 🏁 40k – Encouragement | A Thai runner I’d been playing cat and mouse with all race pushed me on. Absolute legend. |
| 🔥 42k – Strong finish | Last 2km at 4:30min/km. Medal. Finishers pack. Marathon mate crosses the line. I find a quiet spot. Peace. |
Race reflections
| Takeaway | Thoughts |
|---|---|
| 🏁 A well-run event | Expo was really good and the freebies are nice. |
| 🌙 Night start | First time starting a marathon at night, which was cool. |
| 💧 Water stations | Could do with more. Even starting at night, it was a sweatbox. |
| 🚀 Flat & fast | A flat and fast course. |
| 👀 Scenery | Hard to really take in the scenery at night. But it did have a nice finishing area. |
| 🎉 Support | Pretty isolating. Anyone who has run a big race will attest to how incredible the crowds are. Was very little of that here. |
| 💭 A blur | Don’t know how I did it, and the thought of doing one on a whim again is awful. But never say never! |
Completed it mate
Running with the sun rising doesn’t happen often while sober
Post-race feed. The tastiest food I’ve had in Thailand
The splits and other run info can be seen on my Strava activity
Cool Down
In a cruel twist of fate, HeyHa checkout was at 11am on Sunday. So, while I wanted nothing more than to crash and watch Lost, I had to pack up and leave.
The new place was booked before the marathon notions had entered my head, so it wasn’t exactly the ideal place to recover after a run, but a cool spot nonetheless.
My beloved bamboo hut
Later in the day the official results came in along with my snazzy certificate.
Will print this out when I’m home
The following few days weren’t as bad as I had feared. The hut is very close to (yet another) great Thai park where I took full advantage of the amenities on offer—a nice running route, free yoga, magnificent massages.
On the 24th I relocated to a fancier hotel (doesn’t take much to get fancier than a bamboo hut tbf) in Nimmon—a more modern area to the north west of Old Town. A well deserved Christmas present to myself!
DavAI SummAIriser
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