International Marathon in Bang Tao Beach
The Supersports Laguna Phuket Marathon takes place on 13 to 14 June 2026, at Bang Tao Beach. It’s grown into the largest sporting event on the island, attracting thousands of runners from around the world and all parts of Thailand. I’ve watched this event expand year after year since I moved to Phuket, and the energy around race weekend is hard to miss, even if you’re not running.
The race starts and finishes at Laguna Grove inside the Laguna Phuket resort complex. The course takes runners past small villages, rubber and pineapple plantations, and along the coast through Sirinat National Park before looping back past Nai Yang Beach and Layan Beach. It’s a genuinely scenic route, one of the reasons the event keeps pulling international runners back each year.
Race Distances and Schedule
The event runs over two days with six race categories across five distances.
Saturday 13 June 2026 – ‘Sunset Run’ (late afternoon)
The shorter races kick off Saturday afternoon. The 2 km Junior Run stays within the Laguna area, which is good for families with young kids. The 5 km route goes through local villages, and the 10 km course takes you along the beach road. It’s a relaxed start to the weekend.
Sunday 14 June 2026 – ‘Sunrise Run’ (early morning)
The Half Marathon (21.0975 km), Marathon (42.195 km), and Marathon Relay (42.195 km) all start very early on Sunday morning. I mean early. If you’re running the half or full marathon, your alarm is going off around 3 am. That’s part of the deal when you run in a tropical climate, you want to finish before the heat builds up.
The race is certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and is also an official qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. In 2025, more than 6,200 runners from over 60 countries took part.
What I’ve Learned from This Race
I’ve been around for enough editions of this marathon to know a few things that the official website won’t tell you.
Book your hotel near Laguna early. This is my biggest piece of advice. Hotels around the Laguna area and along Bang Tao Beach fill up fast once registration opens. If you wait until a month or two before the race, you’ll either find nothing available or pay double the normal rate. The Laguna complex has several hotels within walking distance of Laguna Grove, the start and finish point, and that’s where you want to be, especially for the Sunday morning race. Waking up at 3 am is bad enough. Adding a 45-minute drive from Patong or Kata makes it worse.
Getting to the start on time can be tricky. The Laguna area isn’t the most accessible part of Phuket. There’s essentially one main road in, and on race morning thousands of runners, support crews, and spectators are all converging on the same spot at the same time. If you’re staying outside the Laguna area, give yourself plenty of extra time. Traffic builds up quickly.
The course shares some road sections with traffic. This is something worth knowing, especially if you’ve run other destination marathons in Thailand. The course isn’t entirely closed to vehicles. On some stretches, runners share one lane while normal traffic uses the other. Police and marshals control the flow, but it does feel different from a fully closed course. It’s not dangerous, but it’s not the same experience as, say, the Bangkok Marathon where the road is all yours.
Race Pack Collection and Expo
You can pick up your race pack at Laguna Grove on the Friday and Saturday before the race. Bring your passport or ID and confirmation email. If you can’t collect it yourself, someone can pick it up for you. The expo area has sponsor booths and merchandise worth browsing. There’s usually a pasta party on Saturday evening too, which is a good way to meet other runners and carb-load before the early start.
Charity and Community
The marathon supports the Laguna Phuket Foundation’s Children First Fund (CFF), which helps underprivileged children in orphanages around Phuket. Runners are encouraged to raise awareness and funds for the programme. It’s been a part of the event for years and adds a good dimension to the whole weekend.
For full details on registration, distances, and the latest updates, see https://www.phuketmarathon.com
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