1,000-plus runners light up Koh Samui in annual Neon Run

More than 1,000 Thai and foreign runners took part in the annual Samui Neon Run on Sunday, an event aimed at promoting the famous island in the Gulf of Thailand as a sport-tourism destination.

Organised by Central Pattana Plc, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Koh Samui Municipality, and private partners, the event featured a night run along the 5.1-kilometre track around the island, with the start/finish point at Central Samui shopping mall.

Kicked off at 7pm, runners wearing attire decorated with backlights and glowing paint raced along Chaweng Road toward Chaweng Beach, passing local fishing communities that just started working that night.

Runners who crossed the finish line first in the male category were Duyakar BaharDuu from Myanmar, followed by Spain’s Eneko Anibarro and Russia’s Pavel Kuleshov.

In the female category, Olena Nikitas from Ukraine took the gold medal, while Russia’s Ekaterina Baranova took the silver and England’s Michelle Ward took the bronze. 

Also joining the event were Thai celebrities, including Prim Korawan of The Face Thailand, Miss Universe Thailand 2021 second runner-up Nantiya Suwansawaeng, and DJ Dolla.

Samui is Thailand’s second-largest island after Phuket. Located off the east coast of Surat Thani province, this 236-square-kilometre island was named the seventh-best island in the world and came in second in Asia in Travel+Leisure magazine’s 2021 survey.