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Thailand Festivals & Events
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Bangkok has been voted to the No.1 of The world's Best Cities Overall and No.1 of Top Ten Asia. Travel & Leisure's annual World's Best Awards results. |
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Thailand Festivals & Events
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The countdown clock is ticking as Pattaya prepares to welcome thousands of joggers and competitive runners for the annual Pattaya International Marathon. It’s the 15th year of a successful event that is now firmly in the sports calendar of thousands of joggers. It is also probably the oldest international marathon in the country and attracts as many as 3,000 runners many of them serious competitors, especially in the full and half-marathon events.
There are sub-events to ensure that beginners can have as much fun running as the competitive semi professional runners, who will hope to beat the course’s best time at two hours and 37 minutes. Even youngsters and families are encouraged to run so the event takes on the characteristics of a carnival.
This year’s marathon will take place Sunday 20 July on the same popular course that is considered one of Asia’s most scenic from a runner’s perspective.
The event breaks down into five categories. The starter’s gun shatters the pre dawn calm for the runners on the full marathon at 0430, a good hour or more before sunrise. The wheel chair competitors depart even earlier at 0420.
Half marathon runners have a starting time of 0500, while the quarter marathon runners set out 30 minutes later. A shorter fun run for high school students begins at 0600.
The staggered starts means that spectators have lots to fun cheering off the various participants from the very serious elite runners of the marathon, who will be back at the finish line in around two hours and 30 minutes to families and senior citizens jogging shorter courses for health and lifestyle reasons.
Pattaya’s marathon course has been fine-tuned over the years to present a challenging route for runners. All the categories follow a similar route, but double back at different spots on Sukhumvit Highway depending on the prescribed distance.From Soi 4 the route takes runners along Pattaya North Road to Sukhumvit Highway, where they turn left towards Bangkok.
After running along the highway, they double back following a route on the other side of the divided highway south towards Jomtien and Sattahip. They swing right at Chayapruk Road at the southern end of Jomtien beach. Here they follow the beach road until the 36 km mark, when they climb over the Pattaya hill and then descend to the main bay. From here the pace lifts for the last few kilometres as spectators cheer the runners through the walking street and bar district to the beach road and the finish line at Soi 4.
First impressions suggest this is a tough route, but those who make the trip to Pattaya annually, claim the varied terrain helps keep spirits high. Hills are gentle and the long stretches, next to the beach, are blessed with strong sea breezes that help to refresh runners.
July is a rainy season month with high temperatures, but clouds rolling in from the Gulf of Thailand that providing a respite for the strong sun. However, as with all Asian marathons runners will need to consume huge quantities of water and cool themselves down at every station to keep the pace for a sub-four time.
The full marathon is certified for runners finishing within six hours and for three hours for the half marathon. The event uses the latest timing systems with chips provided by Go Adventure Asia.
Travel News from TAT
More information: www.pattaya-marathon.com |
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Thailand Festivals & Events
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 Date : JUNE 1 - AUGUST 31, 2008Venue : Pa Hin Ngam National Park, Ban Rai district Thep Sathit district and
Sai Thong National Park, Nong Bua Rawa district, Chaiyaphum Province. 270 km. from Bangkok
The unique geographical landscape of Chaiyaphum Province in the northeast of Thailand gives rise to a range of natural attractions of exceptional beauty. Of these, the fields of pinkish-purple Siam Tulip, or "Dok Krachiao", come in to full bloom in the early part of the rainy season from June to August.
"Krachiao" flowers, also commonly called ’patumma’, ’bua sawan’ (heaven lotus), or ’bua bok’ (the land lotus). It is a member of the ginger genera — Curcuma or Zingiberaceae. |
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