The 2012 King’s Cup Pattaya Marathon will once again attract thousands of runners, both young and old, and all shapes and sizes, to hit the city streets early Sunday morning, July 15; some with dreams of glory and many others just hoping to make the finish line.
The annual road racing festival, which is now becoming a tradition in Pattaya, will see the athletes gather pre-dawn outside the Central Festival Beach shopping mall on Beach Road where they will await the starter’s gun to set them on their way.
The races, offering up to 2 million baht in prize money, have once again been divided into several categories and race distances, all with separate start times. The wheelchair competitors will be the first to get underway at 4.20 a.m. followed 10 minutes later by the main marathon field, both groups taking on the grueling 42.195km course. The half marathon (21.100 km) begins at 5 a.m., the quarter marathon (10.550 km) at 5.30 a.m. and the student fun run (3.500km) at 5.45 a.m.
The marathon route will take the runners from the start point on Beach Road out on Sukhumvit Road heading towards Sattahip as far as the Wat Khao Cheejan turn-off and then back to Pattaya via Jomtien and Khao Phratamnak.
The half and quarter marathons will follow a similar route except that runners will turn for home at Soi Wat Boon and the Underwater World respectively before heading back via Jomtien Beach and South Pattaya.
As always, the marathon will be accompanied by the usual forms of periphery entertainment including live music, dancing and market stalls along Beach Road throughout the weekend.
Persons still wishing to take part in the event can register at the Tourism Department, first floor at Pattaya City Hall, North Pattaya (call 038-253127-9) and at Central Festival Pattaya Beach, 1st floor (ocean side), or through the internet at http://www.pattaya-marathon.net.
A running fiesta in Pattaya this weekend.
