Running: Koh Samui Or Koh Phangan?

[Spark8]

Hello there,

My husband and I are both long distance runners and we were wondering if you know if there are any good places to run in Koh Samui or Koh Phangan. Also, do you know if we can find a 400m running track on the islands? We have not decided which island to choose yet and would like to get your advice on the best place to run first.

Thank you for your help!

[angiud]

Main School in Koh Phangan has a sandy but runable 400 mt ring

[evadgib]

1. For info on the local Hash House Harriers speak to the landlord of the Red Fox in Lamai. As far as i'm aware they run every Saturday.

2. There is a Govt stadium inc 400m track SW of Samui not far (2-3 kms) from the court. If anyone has the GPS perhaps they can post here.

3. Please do your homework if running on the public highway. The roads are very dangerous here.

HTH

Edited February 22, 2013 by evadgib

[candypants]

if i were to do long distance running i would choose Phangan over Samui.

Far less traffic, more natural tracks, better scenery in general I think.

There are three great routes between thongsala and Chaloklum, with undulating terrain.

These are the coast road, hospital road, or the autobahn and you could set up some pretty interesting loops using the cross roads that intersect them.

take a look at both islands on google earth, you will see what i mean.

[Tropicalevo]

The government running track as at 2011

[angiud]

KPG stadium (sic!) looks in much better conditions for a runner, but we don't have a so beautiful stage/tribune...

[notmyself]

Have you considered leaving earlier and so avoid the need to hurry?

[thrilled]

Try not to run on the roads.Might be easier on Samui.But going from the Full Moon Party area to Thong Sala on Koh Phangan,ya better be careful.Sometimes alot of traffic.

[candypants]

Try not to run on the roads.Might be easier on Samui.But going from the Full Moon Party area to Thong Sala on Koh Phangan,ya better be careful.Sometimes alot of traffic.

thing is that is the only road you would really need to avoid on phangan, and why would anyone want to jog along the horny mile anyways?

[BigC]

Try not to run on the roads.Might be easier on Samui.But going from the Full Moon Party area to Thong Sala on Koh Phangan,ya better be careful.Sometimes alot of traffic.

allot of people us samui lake in chaeng. there is a foot path with no dogs and peopl,e running up and down all day long.

also if u fancy a mountian run you can take any of the small sois and run up. would not go to soi 1 manam as there are allof ofdogds and osliated unless u r hard core. as u could run all the way to lamui

try up hill run to jungle clubs in chaweng noi. have a drink at the bar then slowley down hill.

some times down hill can work the legs just as hard as on the up.

I am sexy and i know it

[angiud]

I tolerate a first dubious humor post and I deleted a second on the same level. Just don't write if you don't have something to say.

[notmyself]

also if u fancy a mountian run you can take any of the small sois and run up. would not go to soi 1 manam as there are allof ofdogds and osliated unless u r hard core. as u could run all the way to lamui

Has anyone done it yet?

[samuijimmy]

also if u fancy a mountian run you can take any of the small sois and run up. would not go to soi 1 manam as there are allof ofdogds and osliated unless u r hard core. as u could run all the way to lamui

Has anyone done it yet?

Not sure what Big C was babbling on about there... I can't even get the drift of that one!

You see people, running, walking, and cycling along many of these Sois (including Soi 1 to Lamai) .... some are flat .... some are hilly.... there are choices!

But one does not need to run the whole length of any Soi, .... a few interconnect with each other... Most of them are not busy...

On the Maenam side of Soi 1, just as the hill starts, there is even a place to make a "pit stop" for refreshments !

Even on the north end of Chawang lake one could run on the dirt track and only see the odd fisherman,

Although that track does not go all the way around.... unless one does a bit on the road to get around to the south side !

[notmyself]

If anyone does happen to do the Soi 1 run from Maenam to Lamai and sees someone with a camera it's most likely Jim.

[samuijimmy]

If anyone does happen to do the Soi 1 run from Maenam to Lamai and sees someone with a camera it's most likely Jim.

Not just Soi 1 .... anywhere on Samui .... I am working on my project to photograph every beach on Samui .... so watch out !

I am a bit bogged down with too many images .... but it's coming along!

Maybe by next Christmas.... I wonder how many people know which beach Santa resides on Samui?

[notmyself]

You take some great shots mate

[samuijimmy]

Since power out this morning, I decided to go looking around more of RURAL Samui ! There are no end of just about empty roads around the island .... and a stadium which I had never seen before

The South west area around Taling Ngam and Ban Khao is a maze of wonderfully quite roads.... then a road around the water plant too... all concreted.... Definitely not like Chawang

The thing too in all these areas there are resorts, which appear to all be busy.... but people have room to breathe and not be sitting on top of each other ~

Much like several areas of KP !

This would be perfect!

I'll post other images in the Photograph Section above! (Some time!)

[Tropicalevo]

Since power out this morning, I decided to go looking around more of RURAL Samui ! There are no end of just about empty roads around the island .... and a stadium which I had never seen before

You should have looked at post #5 Jimmy

[samuijimmy]

Since power out this morning, I decided to go looking around more of RURAL Samui ! There are no end of just about empty roads around the island .... and a stadium which I had never seen before

You should have looked at post #5 Jimmy

Oh no,!!!! how could I have missed that.? .... you beat me to finding that!..

Well bet I still have places up my sleeve you don't have!

Edited February 26, 2013 by PoorSucker
quote fixed

[limbos]

Back to the original questions, I run a lot on Samui and I run on the roads around Plai Laem and Chaweng. i run ideally at the crack of dawn, at 6am, distances of around 7-12km. The roads are dangerous indeed but all day long you see people run, make sure to run against traffic, so the right side of the road.

Regarding the tracks, the one in Lamai is really far away on Samui if you stay at the northern part of the island. For speeds/interval training it ain't easy on Samui.

[Spark8]

Thank you so much for posting this! I guess it gets muddy during the rain season? Otherwise, it is looking good!

The stand.JPG

[attachment=200461:View north.JPG

View south.JPG

The government running track as at 2011

[Spark8]

Is this in Samui oh Phangan?

KPG stadium (sic!) looks in much better conditions for a runner, but we don't have a so beautiful stage/tribune...

[Spark8]

Where was the 2nd photo with the lake taken? Samui or Phangan? Does the road go around the lake? That would be a nice running road!

Since power out this morning, I decided to go looking around more of RURAL Samui ! There are no end of just about empty roads around the island .... and a stadium which I had never seen before

The South west area around Taling Ngam and Ban Khao is a maze of wonderfully quite roads.... then a road around the water plant too... all concreted.... Definitely not like Chawang

The thing too in all these areas there are resorts, which appear to all be busy.... but people have room to breathe and not be sitting on top of each other ~

Much like several areas of KP !

This would be perfect!

I'll post other images in the Photograph Section above! (Some time!)

[Spark8]

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies and pictures!

[samuijimmy]

Thanks everyone for your helpful replies and pictures!

It's the Samui water works, close to where the stadium is (same road in... ) Near Hua Thanon... south of Lamai .....go along highway 4160 .... turn left near the Samui Prison. if you look at a map, you should see a "lake" with an island in the middle... That is where it is...

There are gates at the water works entrance, so not sure if always open ... I believe they do cycling races around there.... (Poor Sucker can you help on that? ) ... and yes it does go all the way around!

But as said before there is a maze of roads in various parts of the island, That are very quiet, generally. I see several runners a day go past my place in Maenam. You just need to try a few areas! Obviously times to avoid is the rush hour in morning and afternoon, and school areas...in AM and around 3.30 in afternoon.

This is the water works entrance... the start of going around the "lake"....

As for KP I would say just avoid the strip between Thong Sala and Haad Rin... (especially around FMP times) otherwise roads are pretty quite most of the time!

Edited February 27, 2013 by samuijimmy

[TrashTalkinJames]

I'll be on Samui between 13th and 20th May and need to continue training, so this thread is very useful. I will stay just south on Lamai beach, so will definitely try the Gov. Stadium and water work areas.

If anyone does any running around Samui and doesn't mind me tagging along, please let me know. Thank you in advance for any help!

[Razzler1973]

I would say aside from Haad Rin to Thong Sala bit of Koh Pha-Ngan the rest of KPN is quite 'runnable'. From Thong Sala in other directions even running on the roads in any direction to the other beaches shouldn't be too dangerous, it's hardly rush hour around there