Khao Yai Trail Marathon Review

Race Hunter scheduled their inaugural off-road marathon for Sunday 12th October 2014. Khao Yai Trail Marathon, a brand new multi-distance trail race skirting the scenic foothills of the Khao Yai National Park.

Naturally, the red dirt tracks were pretty muddy due to the recent rain, but the weather stayed dry for race day and much of the course is shaded, following an undulating path with approximately 500m of overall elevation. Great conditions and some fantastic views – if you remember to look up.

Water stops were well placed, some with fruit and electrolytes and all with friendly volunteers. Course markings were a little sparse though, especially on the 21k route. The organizers were very apologetic about a marking/marshaling error at the start of the marathon, which caused runners to do an extra 2-3k before going back almost to the start to find the correct route again. A single directional arrow could have avoided a lot of frustration and anxiety. This will hopefully be corrected for any future events. After all, it was an otherwise near-perfect marathon distance.

Registration and bib collection were straight-forward and race communication was clear, although typically the mandatory kit lists were not that mandatory. Race Hunter had some high-profile sponsors so offered trophies and great prizes for top 3 places for the full, half and 10k distances. In addition, very nice goody bags for all participants, including a useful energy gel.

Overall a great race, great atmosphere and great Thailand trail calendar debut.

Pictures from the race by Refill Marathon here.
Results (10k, 21k, 42k) here.

Big thanks to the Run Thailand spy Karen.