Thousands hit the streets for Pattaya Marathon 2017

By Jetsada Homklin & Urasin Khantaraphan

September 8, 2017

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Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities donned their sports shoes on Sunday morning, Sept. 3 to take part in the 2017 annual Pattaya city marathon. Well-trained athletes and weekend warriors rubbed shoulders as they threaded their way through the city’s streets, aiming for ultimate glory or to reach their own personal goals in a mass celebration of sportsmanship and community spirit.

Gilbert Muge of Kenya wins Pattaya Marathon 2017

PATTAYA – An estimated 10,000 participants hit the streets of Pattaya and Jomtien last Sunday, Sept. 3, to take part in the city’s annual marathon running festival.

Pattaya mayor Maj. Gen. Anan Charoengchasri and Chonburi governor Pakaratorn Tienchai were among the VIPs on hand to set the athletes on their way.

This year marked the 26th edition of a race that has grown into one of the region’s highlights for road warriors and regularly draws scores of athletes from overseas, and almost as frequently results in winners coming from the African continent, with again this year being no exception.

Tourism related business reported a roaring trade over the duration of the weekend and hotels in Pattaya were packed, with revenue seeing a great increase all round.

Pattaya mayor Maj. Gen. Anan Charoengchasri and Chonburi governor Pakaratorn Tienchai were among the VIPs on hand at the start line in front of the Central Festival Pattaya Beach shopping mall to send the runners and wheelchair athletes on their way in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The event was separated into five categories, with the ‘marathon’ at 42.195 kilometers, the ‘half marathon’ at 21.10 kilometers, ‘quarter marathon’ (10.55 kilometers) and the ‘Fun Run’ at 3.7 kilometers. There was also a separate race for wheelchair competitors at 3.7 kilometers in length.

Athletes from Africa once again dominated proceedings, taking the top three podium places in both the men’s and women’s full distance marathons and also providing the winners in the male and female half marathon races.

The men’s champion and overall marathon winner was Gilbert Muge of Kenya who crossed the finish line in a net time of 02:31.54 while Kenya also supplied the winner in the women’s race in the shape of Margaret Wangui Njuguna, who won in a time of 02:56:03. Both Muge and Njuguna each won 25,000 baht in prize money and took home the top trophies on offer.

Gilbert Muge, of Kenya, races to cross the finish-line on his way to winning the Pattaya Marathon 2017.

The winners of the male and female half-marathon races were respectively Godfrey Kiprotich Ngetich (1:15:30) and Rosemary Mumo Katua (1:27:27) who picked up 10,000 baht each while the quarter-marathon saw home winners in the form of men’s winner Sanchai Namkhet (00:35:07) and women’s champion Natthaya Thanaronnawat, who broke the tape in a time of 00:44:52. The quarter marathon and wheelchair race winners all received commemorative trophies and 8,000 baht in cash prizes.