With the course laid out, the water stations stocked, volunteers and supporters on the sidelines, and running shoes securely tied, it was time for 1000 participants to come together and tackle the 4th annual King of the Mountain Trail Run on 2 September 2018. The event was organised by Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort, and is a firm favourite of running enthusiasts. Athletes travelled from other parts of Thailand and beyond to master Khao Phra Thaeo National Park’s breathtaking mountainous terrain.

The course was opened by Mr Noraphat Plodthong, Governor of Phuket, followed by a few words by Mr Thibault Gonnet, Thanyapura’s Director of Sports & Events. “Thank you to all the runners who came today, this is really inspiring to see a thousand people registering for this 4th edition of King of the Mountain Trail Run. I also would like to say thank you to all our sponsors who helped us to make this event greatly successful. We hope that you are going to have an amazing experience today”.

Thanyapura sits at the foothills of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, the only remaining unspoilt rainforest left on the island of Phuket. It is home to a diverse number of animals including wild boar, gibbons, monkeys, and hundreds of species of birds. In order to respect the environment, runners were strongly advised to leave the area as they found it and not to discard of any garbage enroute. They were also encouraged to bring their own water bottles to refill at the many stations set up when needed.

The challenging route offers runners a choice of a 4km fun run, 8km trail or 15km trail, and takes its runners through a diverse landscape filled with hilly terrain, waterfalls and lush national park forest. All participants received a race kit which included a t-shirt, medal and running bag. For the 8km trail run, Sorachet Srikaew (1:12:01.1) and Ju Tar Yar Htay (1:15:26.2) came in with the third fastest times, Utorn Thaonsa (1:11:53.6) and Remke Langenddonck (1:14:19.9) with the second fastest, and Aupdonkarin Mudsakul (1:05:59.2) and Srirung Kongthap (1:13:17.6) with the fastest. For the 15km course, third place went to Praphai Saomok (1:28:36.8) and Duangporn Hoggan – Saxby (02:04:30.1), second to David Ballesteros (1:26:11.8) and Nina Morris (02:02:54.3), and first place to Luke Mckenzie (1:24:43.3) and Beth Mckenzie (01:40:13.8).

The event has grown exponentially from its humble beginnings of 80 participants 4 years ago, and is now one of Phuket’s most highly anticipated running events of the year alongside others like the Laguna Marathon.

King of the Mountain wouldn’t have been possible without the kind support and generosity of this year’s official event sponsors that include Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, the Department of National Parks, the Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, Phuket Marriott Resort and Spa, Nai Yang Beach, Phuket News, 89.75 Radio Trip, Sunshine Market, Bangkok Hospital Phuket, Sea Horse Drinking Water and Born Free to Run.

Congratulations to all the runners, volunteers and supporters that came out and made 2018’s King Of The Mountain Trail Run the biggest yet!

More information can be found on Thanyapura’s website www.thanyapura.com

Thanyapura Health and Sports Resort is excited to announce the opening of its own tennis academy. In mid-June 2018, it will welcome Coach Paul Robert McCabe, who will join the resort and lead a team of certified tennis coaches dedicated to coaching all skill levels. Coach Paul has directed a number of programs in premier Leisure clubs across Southwest Asia and the UK, and has experience in working with former British Number 3 Martin Lee, and Kyle Edmund, who recently made the Semifinals of the Australian Open and reached world Number 26. His key specialty is the development a solid foundation, laying the groundwork for players to reach new levels of success themselves.

Coach Paul will bring a number of new programs to Thanyapura, including tennis for all levels, cardio tennis, a Junior Development Program for young athletes aged 4-18, social tennis sessions, and tennis weekend getaways. The programs will run across the resort’s 4 indoor courts and 2 outdoor courts, and will be available to all Thanyapura members. Non-members will be charged for the services, and will be subject to availability. Coach Paul is looking forward to leading the academy, saying, “The team at Thanyapura seem really friendly but also dedicated to improving all facets of the Thanyapura experience, and that’s very exciting to be involved in. On a purely tennis side I know from experience that Thailand has a really strong tennis culture; probably the strongest in South-East Asia, and I’m really thrilled to be involved here in Phuket.”

More information can be found on Thanyapura’s website www.thanyapura.com