Khao Noi 12 hour hill repeat race

Heat, hills, and cold beer in Korat.

You have 12 hours to run up and down a hill in the Northeast of Thailand. The format is simple, the challenge is tough. If you can do more laps than anyone else in that time duration, you win.

Simple.

Short trail section near the top of the hill.

When I heard about this race, it immediately appealed to me. I had never done a hill repeat race before, and I knew a 12 hr event would be a great physical and mental test. I also wanted one last road trip in Thailand before returning to the UK for the summer.

On June 6th, a friend and I set off from Bangkok and hit the road for Korat in northeastern Thailand. My Dad, who also really enjoys a road trip in Thailand, drove from Khon Kaen with his wife to meet up and support. He has always been a great support in my running events/races, and often offers to come along before I have even asked. That means a lot. Once we all arrived and settled in, we drove out to the start line of the race to get a feel for the area. The location was stunning! The event started at the top of the Khao Noi hill, and the start line was surrounded by incredible mountain views of the Isaan countryside. This had me feeling excited to start the race the following morning.

Before heading back to our rooms to rest, we stopped at a roadside restaurant for dinner. I probably would leave this part out, but the food was unbelievably delicious, and like most local Thai restaurants off the beaten track, the price was excellent. Some restaurants stick in your mind, and this one certainly did. It needed to be mentioned!

ร้านไอ้โทน เขื่อนลำตะคลอง กังหันลมเขายายเที่ยง

https://maps.app.goo.gl/8MWs4EjuAByM9zgz9

After plenty of tasty Thai food, a cold beer, great conversation, and extra rice to fuel tomorrow's race, it was time to sleep.

View from the top of the hill, Korat.

The race started at 6:00 am, and I was feeling pretty relaxed. I always feel this way at the start of the longer-distance races; you have time to ease into the race and find your rhythm. Rushing out of the start line on a 12-hour race is never a good idea. I always want to tick off the early miles feeling relaxed and comfortable, - just enjoy the running. It was time to go, and for the next 12 hours, you had to run 3.2km down the hill and 3.2km back up the hill. This was one lap, and it had around 400m of elevation gain coming back up the hill. Although I was feeling relaxed, I also wanted to win. Keep it simple, but also run with intent.

First lap, and the pack of runners set off down the hill. It quickly became me and another man at the front of the race, and I was happy sitting comfortably behind him in 2nd place. We were both hitting a strong pace down the hill on our first lap, and it was probably quicker than I had planned, but I know from experience not to put the brakes on when running downhill, as it will ruin your quads. Trust your legs and go for it. We both reached the bottom together and quickly turned around to head back up the hill. I started to break away from him on the uphill and found myself sitting in 1st place.

Back at the top of the hill - one lap complete. I felt good, but also knew this race was going to get incredibly tough. The sun was starting to bake, and that intense Thai heat can be brutal. It was very hot that day. I knew what I signed up for and felt ready to fully embrace the challenge - and have fun!

Running down hill on the 1st Lap.

By 8 am, I had completed my third lap, and this was the beer lap. The Korat Trail Running team, who organised the event, brilliantly suggested that when you complete this lap, you can have a free beer. I would never refuse a free beer! I finished the lap, drank the cold beer, restocked my drinks, soaked my hat in the ice bucket, and headed back out down the hill again. This was my favourite lap for obvious reasons, but we were still only a few hours into a very long race.

As the laps went on, they gradually took me slightly longer to complete. I briefly fell back into 2nd place early in the race due to taking slightly too long at the checkpoint, but managed to get back into 1st place on the downhill section. I am learning the importance of being efficient in checkpoints.

The hours went by, the laps took longer, and the heat became intense in the afternoon - especially going back up the hill. I remember for a brief moment the sun going behind the clouds and appreciating how nice it felt. This was very brief, and soon enough, the sun kindly came back out again.

Back up the hill in the Thai heat.

The race continued to be relentless and repetitive. The downhill section became really tough, the quads were tired, and I had developed two big blisters on the heels of both feet. These became quite painful and uncomfortable, but the show goes on, and I knew if I kept moving, I would finish the race in 1st place.

The combination of the heat and climbing back up the hill was proving a serious challenge. I remember taking a short break on the uphill and feeling a bit dizzy, which made me realise I was better off keeping moving. To keep moving is such simple advice, but in long-distance endurance racing, it is probably some of the best advice you can receive. Just keep moving. It is also surprising how much you can keep moving when your mind tells you that you want to stop. Your legs will feel tired, it is extremely hot, and you want to rest, but you can keep moving.

At around 4:30 pm, I had finished my 9th lap, and with not enough time to go back out for a 10th lap, I had done enough to win the race. I had covered around 60km and 4100m of elevation in 10 hours and 28 minutes. Tired, happy, and ready to rest.

It was time to drink some cold beer and relax. I was thankful to be a part of such a great event organised by really friendly people. The community spirit of this event really made it feel special, and the location was incredible.

A race I would highly recommend.

The Korat Trail Running Team - 'A great team of people, who are really friendly and supportive'

Thanks for reading - it is appreciated.

Enjoy your running, and keep it simple.

Chris.

Taking a quick break.

Relaxing after the race drinking cold beer.