A Newbie Runcation At The Samui Half Marathon

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If you’ve been in the running industry for some time, you may have come across the idea of a ‘runcation’. Popularized by bloggers, a running vacation or a runcation, involves planning a trip around a running event while your mind convinces yourself that you have indeed taken a productive break from training.

Runcations are definitely a must and it’s not just for seasoned runners. Those who are just getting into the sport are highly encouraged to take one. There are a few things to consider before you plan your next runcation.

  1. Vacay date

The ideal runcation is to plan your vacation around the running event at the destination of your choice. This way, you are more in control of the type of race you join, be it a marathon, road or trail run. You could decide vice versa, however, that depends solely on luck! The Samui Half Marathon 2018 was the perfect beach-runcation that coincided with our schedule.

2. Stay close

You may want to book the accommodation nearest to the event venue for convenience since you most probably have to be at the flag off area early in the morning. This, however, might mean you have to compromise on the rest of your sightseeing trips. Another solution would be to arrange transportation to and after the race like what we did when we stayed at Nikki Beach, Koh Samui which was about 40mins away from the flag off area at Nathon Pier.

3. Solid 10km

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned runner, there is one thing that we all have to agree and that is the best way to explore a place is on foot. Opt for a solid 10km run if possible, or the full marathon if you’re up for it when deciding on the distance to participate. The Samui Half Marathon 2018 had categories for Fun Run of 5 kilometers, Mini Marathon of 10 kilometers, and Half-Marathon of 21 kilometers. The 10km run took us to scenic village views into the Lipa Noi area.

4. Local Delicacies

Certain runners may be extremely strict in their diet, while the rest of us literally run to eat. So when it comes to pre and post race nutrition, treat yourself to the city’s local cuisine. At Koh Samui, everything from green curry, pad Thai to Gai Yang (grilled chicken) and mango sticky rice are available almost around every corner.

5. Know your event

It’s important to do some quick research to find out reviews of the same event in previous years. This will give you a rough idea on how the event has been conducted in the past as well as reliability even if it is a fairly recent program. Samui Half Marathon 2018 is the third of the seven running programs in The Bangkok Airways Boutique Series 2018 which comprises of 5 Half-Marathons at Krabi, Koh Samui, Lampang, Phuket, and Chiang Mai, one Full-Marathon at Chiang Rai and Trail-Running at Trat.

Have you been on a runcation? Leave your comments below, we would love for you to share your experience!

Bonus tips:

  • Travel light
  • Get a fellow runcationer on board
  • Planning for a runcation? The Lanna Half Marathonin Chiang Mai will be on 11 November 2018. For more information, go to http://www.bangkokair.com 

Link 1: Nikki Beach, Koh Samui (https://www.nikkibeach.com/destinations/beach-clubs/koh-samui/)

Link 2: The Bangkok Airways Boutique Series 2018 (http://www.bangkokair.com/press-release/view/Bangkok%20Airways%20Launches%20Campaign%20%E2%80%9CBangkok%20Airways%20Boutique%20Series%202018%E2%80%9D)

Link 3: Lanna Half Marathon (https://www.teelakow.com/en/event/bangkok-airways-lanna-marathon-2018-presents-run-hero-run)