Chiang Mai Marathon

4,300 runners from 44 countries, racing through the night on this flat and fast course. Chiang Mai was the ancient capital of a country named Lana, and is now Thailand's second biggest city. The race takes in the moat and walls of the original centre, the expanding suburbs, and ends at the statue of Lana's most revered monarch; King Naresuan.

This was the fourth marathon in my journey to join the Seven Continents Club.

This race was done during my two months of Backpacking South East Asia. I stayed in Chiang Mai for a week, treating myself to a €10 hotel room and lots of good food so I'd be well rested. The race expo and start line were both at Tha Phae Gate, which is the most famous entrance to the walled city. I was impressed by the t-shirt, running vest and all the goodies we were given. There's also a Decathlon beside the start so I treated myself to a new pair of running socks before one last dinner and an early night.

The race starts at 3:00am to avoid the heat and to finish at sunrise. It was humid as I walked to the start, but with a cool breeze I was glad of. The street was lined with flags for each competitor and I quickly found my Irish one. There was a fun atmosphere as they gave a briefing, then a countdown, and sent us off. The race started with a lap of the city walls, where the bridges, towers and moat were all beautifully lit up. It was completely silent as if we had the city all to ourselves.

The first section really was incredible. My legs and body felt great and I knew they'd last the night, but for some reason I was mentally exhausted. I think the darkness may have played a part, but from the get go I knew this would be a grind. Once we left the city walls and moved to long straight roads I struggled to stay awake. Luckily I had brought my headphones and they helped me to switch off for some sections.

Everything about the race felt very well organised. Lots of aid stations with water, pineapple and watermelon which worked great for me. There were loads of photographers who all had massive studio lights that you'd see as you approached. Between these I'd keep my head down and fight the urge to walk, excited for when the sun would begin to rise and give me the energy I knew it would.

The marathon route includes a long out and back before rejoining the half-marathoners for the last 10km. During this section I did appreciate the peace and quiet, but finding energy was a struggle. I smiled ear to ear when I reached the turning point and was glad to wave goodbye to each point as I returned. When I finally saw the junction with half marathoners on the route I felt a weight lift. Every piece of pineapple and every bit of light from the rising sun fuelled me more and more.

The last section was great, mostly along a canal with bridges and narrow trails. I was tired but the sunrise was helping a lot, and now that people were awake we even had supporters! The final bends saw us run through a war memorial park with big tanks, then a long approach to the giant statue and finish line. Excited to go back to bed, I made one last sprint!

4hrs 56mins 49s

I can't fault this race in any way. Everything is cheap in Thailand, but it's still ridiculous what you get for the €30 entry fee. Beautiful medal, nice food and drinks after and a free songthaew (pickup truck bus) back to the city centre. Even the photos that were all included were amazing.

I suspect I may have been a little run down or sick on the day because every step was hard earned. This would be a fast course on a good day, but I was just happy to to have finished. I slept remarkably well all day after the race, with the only breaks being for the cheap curries and street food I've come to love. This big goal of mine felt one step closer today, and I was already excited for the next race.