Thailand is known for many things. Temples, elephants, tuk-tuks, food and also as being hotter than H E double hockey sticks. But, it's not normally known for 10K races. That's why many people will be amazed to hear there are lots of them there. One of the newly popular 10K races is connected to the Laguna Phuket International Marathon, and is held in June every year. It was begun in 2005, to help attract people back to Phuket after the Asian tsunami, which killed almost 10,000 people in Thailand. I ran it in 2007, and was surprised how many runners were there - almost 1,000, from all over the world.
One of the interesting things about the Laguna Phuket 10K (and the 5K) is that the organizers encourage all their entrants to run the race and to raise money for their favorite charity. Now, in Thailand, donating to charities is not really popular (Thais normally give to their temple instead), so this was an innovative thing for the organizers to try. It seemed to be successful though, as I talked to a lot of people who were running to raise money for children's groups, animal groups, the elephant sanctuary and a bunch of other places.
What's really cool about this year's race is that runners are being encouraged to not worry about their finishing times but, instead, only to think about having a good time. One of the runners, Hajime Nishi, from Japan, runs with the philosophy "Slow is beautiful" and this year he's encouraging people to sign up for the 10K, the 5K and the Marathon just to have fun and, oh, take pictures along the way.
If you've ever been to Phuket, you'll understand why this is such a 'Thai' philosophy. Thai people live their lives with a saying "Mai bpen rai", which means 'never mind, relax, have fun, be happy'. Thai people are not really great competitors because they'll often end up helping each other instead of trying to beat each other, but this is what makes them one of the kindest people I've ever come across.
This year, the Laguna Phuket 10K (it's actually a 10.5 K race) will be on June 15, 2008. It's a flat race, so it's great for beginning runners and kids, and it loops around Laguna Phuket and comes back to where it started from. You'll also get some beautiful views, especially on the road near the ocean. Phuket has gorgeous blue water and with the palm trees and sparkling blue skies it's truly lovely.
Like all 10K races, they'll have aid stations with electrolyte drinks and fruit, and very friendly Thai volunteers to help with any problems. The 10K race starts at 6:30am and will finish around 10am. Prizes will be awarded for this, the 5K and the Marathon at 11am. Before the prize ceremony they also have an interesting Thai dance exhibition.
So, if you're in Thailand and want to run a cool, fun 10K, the Laguna Phuket 10K could be for you. At a $35 entry fee, it's a bit steep, especially for locals, but the scenery is so pretty and the people so nice...it's definitely worth it, I think.
