Bangkok, 22 November, 2019 – The third annual ‘Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2020’, presented by Toyota, which will be held on 2 February, 2020, at the Rajamangala Stadium is off to an impressive start having already received 22,000 applicants in just two weeks.
The event has four categories: the full marathon at 42.195 kilometres, a half marathon of 21.10 kilometres, a mini marathon at 10 kilometres, and a family fun run of 5 kilometres in length with total cash prizes of 2,236,500 Baht on offer.
Tourism and Sports Minister, H.E. Mr. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, said the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has a clear policy to promote sports tourism, especially the types that have the potential to attract a large number of Thai and foreign participants; such as, marathon, trail running and triathlon to build Thailand’s global sports event brand.
Mr. Phiphat said, “Thailand has the potential and readiness to organise world-class marathons and is blessed with a variety of attractions combined with warm hospitality. The Royal Thai Government has positioned the Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok to be among the world’s top 10 marathons that global runners want to attend, and to be expanded nationwide as Thailand’s annual marathon series.”
In line with the government’s direction, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is currently developing the Amazing Thailand Marathon as an annual series, starting with five pilot provinces including Bangkok (Amazing Thailand Marathon), Buri Ram, Chon Buri, Phuket and Ratchaburi with an annual target of 100,000 participants including up to 15,000 foreigners. TAT expects to announce the five pilot projects at the end of the Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok 2020.
TAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, said, “The objective of the Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok is to elevate Thailand as a sustainable sports tourism destination. TAT will leverage the popularity of running sports to attract Thai and foreign tourists to participate in the event. We target over 30,000 runners, inclusive of 5,000 foreigners, generating more than 900 million Baht.”
TAT has been promoting the event at global marathon events like Japan’s Osaka Marathon, China’s Beijing Marathon and the Singapore Marathon, to name only a few. It has received positive interest from international runners, especially Chinese, Singaporeans, Malaysians and Japanese, so this year’s event will certainly attract more than the target of 5,000 foreign runners.
About Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok
The Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok is by far the biggest and most popular road race in Thailand that attracts more than 30,000 runners and over 75,000 spectators across the whole weekend, establishing it as the country’s leading running event on the annual sporting calendar.
On the first Sunday of every February, thousands of runners from around Asia will run past Bangkok’s iconic landmarks; such as, Victory Monument, Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple), Ratchadamnoen Avenue (Thailand’s Champs-Elysees), Rama VIII Bridge, and the Golden Mountain Temple.
The 2020 event marks the third anniversary of the Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok with its unique offering of Thai food for runners at the finish line. There is also a sporting goods expo featuring over 70 brands selling a variety of sports merchandise plus lots of entertainment. The finish line is situated near one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bangkok, Democracy Monument, next to the world-famous night market on Khao San Road.
For more information and registration, please visit: www.amazingthailandmarathon2020.com.
