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Khon Kaen International Marathon race photo

Khon Kaen International Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

THJan 10, 202742.195km · 21.1km · 10km
Rawipad C.KKU from Khon Kaen, Thailand · CC BY-SA 2.0
Race date in 87 days
Jan 10, 2027 Sun
City · Distance
Khon Kaen · 42.195km · 21.1km · 10km
Entry fee
THB 1,100Varies by event and entry period
Status
OpenSat, August 8, 2026 ~ TBDSee how to enter ↗
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 15, 2026
Khon Kaen International Marathon race photo
Rawipad C.KKU from Khon Kaen, Thailand · CC BY-SA 2.0
About the raceRunner storiesHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Khon Kaen International Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

Dozens of runners from Ethiopia and Kenya line up for start line.

Top runners from Thailand, Laos, and Taiwan also take part.

The event is organized by Khon Kaen University.

It takes place in Khon Kaen in northeastern Thailand and has been held every year since its founding in 2004, making the 2027 event the 22nd edition.

The distances are the 42.195-km marathon, half marathon 21.10 km, and the 11.55-km mini marathon.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Khon Kaen International Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from runners who've been there.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 1
Harold PielRan in 2026
“Water at the half way mark was nice, and comfortably pushed to the finish line knowing I would be running the next day.”

Harald Pihl ran on consecutive days during the 2026 Khon Kaen International Marathon weekend, enjoying the university campus and city atmosphere. Frequent aid stations, plentiful postrace food, and enthusiastic cheering left Pihl satisfied.

Read the original on Run K2J

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Fun Run Khon Kaen International Marathon 2026. มาราธอนวิ่งสนุกขอนแก่น. #funrun #khonkaen #marathon

TravelEpic

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Khon Kaen International Marathon — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

Marathon

Entry cost THB 1,100

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page
Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Khon Kaen International Marathon course map and elevation

Your 42.195km

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 03:00
Time limit7 hours
Show more

Full 7 hours · half marathon 3 hours 30 minutes · Mini 2 hours

EventStartTime limit
Marathon42.195km03:007h
Half21.1km04:003h 30m
10K11.55km04:452h
เดินวิ่งเพื่อสุขภาพ (แข่งขัน)5.4km06:501h 40m
เดินวิ่งเพื่อสุขภาพ (แข่งขัน)5.4km07:101h 20m
START

Kalpapruek Road, in front of the Kanchanaphisek Multipurpose Convention Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen

Start · Google Maps
FINISH

Kalpapruek Road, in front of the Kanchanaphisek Multipurpose Convention Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen

Show more

Runners start · local time — 03:00 full marathon · 04:00 half marathon · 04:45 Mini (1/10) · 06:50 Fun Walk · 07:00 Kids Run (1/9)

The event offers three distances: the 42.195-km marathon, half marathon 21.10 km, and the 11.55-km mini marathon.

The start and finish are both at the Kanchanaphisek (Golden Jubilee) Multipurpose Convention Center on Kalapaphruek Road inside the Khon Kaen University campus.

Khon Kaen University organizes the event, which has been held every year since its founding in 2004, making the 2027 event the 22nd edition.

Dozens of runners from Ethiopia and Kenya, along with top runners from Thailand, Laos, and Taiwan, line up for start line.

Typical race-season temperature: around 24°C (74°F)
Hot race — plan fluids and electrolytes

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

Where and when to collect your Khon Kaen International Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Items can be collected only at the designated times; collection on race day is not available.
elite, Fun Run, and Kids Run on 1/9 only

Kanchanaphisek Multipurpose Convention Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen

Google Maps
2026 edition — 1/9 (Fri)
10:00–19:00
1/10 Sat
10:00–19:00

Stations & transport near the venue

  • Getting to the startNo rail station; start/finish at the Kanchanaphisek (Golden Jubilee) Multipurpose Convention Center on…
  • Transit cardBring cash (small notes/coins) for songthaews and the Khon Kaen City Bus fleet; foreign tourists have no verified way to use a reloadable local card since it's typically loaded/topped-up in person from the driver. Where to buy
  • Getting to the finishSame venue — Golden Jubilee Convention Center, Khon Kaen University

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026 · Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

More details

Getting to the start

No rail station; start/finish at the Kanchanaphisek (Golden Jubilee) Multipurpose Convention Center on Kalapaphruek Road, Khon Kaen University campus

Khon Kaen has no metro/light rail — access by road only. The race operates its own free race-day shuttle system for registered runners.

Map

Getting to the finish

Same venue — Golden Jubilee Convention Center, Khon Kaen University

Per the prior (2026) edition's shuttle page, return shuttle pickups ran 6:00am-9:00am race day, meeting near a pharmacy shop along Maliwat Road, close to the start/finish.

Map

Start shuttle

Official free electric/regular shuttle buses run on 3 color-coded lines (Blue/Green/Red), serving marathon, half-marathon, and mini-marathon participants. For the prior 2026 edition, a separate pre-race shuttle also ran from Khon Kaen Airport to the convention center on expo/packet-pickup day (4 rounds starting 09:30 the Friday before race weekend).

Shuttle timing/meeting-point details are per prior edition; general structure (3 color lines, free for athletes) stated for KKIM2027 as well.

Transit card

บัตรซิ่ง ('Bat Sing' / 'Sing Card') — a reloadable transit card used on the modernized Khon Kaen City Bus (kkcitybus)

Loaded/topped up directly with the bus driver on board (minimum top-up reported as 100 baht); no tourist-facing retail sales point found Not accepted at the gates — get the local card above

Khon Kaen has a modernized city bus system (24 routes, kkcitybus) accepting cash, banknotes, QR code, and the 'บัตรซิ่ง' card. Regular songthaew fares are cheap (commonly ~9-13 baht per ride).

QR code payment is typically Thai PromptPay/bank-app QR, not usable by a foreign tourist without a Thai bank account — cash remains the safest bet. One tourist blog claims Bangkok's Rabbit Card works here but this could not be corroborated — treat as unverified/likely incorrect.

Where to buy
Source · checked Aug 22, 2026Source · checked Aug 17, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The 22nd edition will take place on January 9 and 10, 2027.

In January, Khon Kaen's average high is 30.8°C and its average low is 18.1 degrees.

Monthly rainfall is 6 mm, making it one of the driest times of the year.

Entry fee varies by distance and registration period.

The marathon costs 1,100 baht standard, 1,000 baht for early registration, and 1,300 baht for on-site registration.

Half marathon costs 900 baht, 800 baht, and 1,100 baht, respectively, while the mini marathon costs 700 baht, 600 baht, and 900 baht.

VIP entry costs 2,500 baht.

Runners aged 60 and over pay only half of Entry fee for all events except VIP entry.

There are two ways to register: use the online registration site or visit the event office inside the Khon Kaen University gym during weekday business hours.

Online payments can be made using the designated QR code or by card;

the applicant pays the card fee.

For Expo on-site registration, payment is made by cash or bank transfer.

Entry fee paid is non-refundable unless the cancellation is due to the organizers' fault.

There are 10 age groups for both the marathon and half marathon.

The marathon starts at ages 18–29, while half marathon starts at ages 16–29;

both continue through the 70-and-over group.

The open-category marathon prizes are 50,000 baht for first place, 30,000 baht for second, and 20,000 baht for third for both men and women.

Age-group prizes are 5,000 baht for first, 4,000 baht for second, and 3,500 baht for third.

Times are local to Khon Kaen. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Khon Kaen Province Car Rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Make reservation after checking price

View on EconomyBookings

Khon Kaen Province Airport–City Private Taxi

Fixed-rate advance booking, door-to-door pickup · Check price and book

View on Kiwitaxi

Khon Kaen Province Car Rental (Qeeq)

Compare budget-friendly rental cars with a free-cancellation option (check the price when booking) · Check price and book

View on Qeeq

Hotels near the Khon Kaen International Marathon start line in

Hotels that make race morning easy

View all →

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

Trip.comClosest to the start lineView on Trip.com

Time for you, before and after the finish

View all →

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

Khon Kaen Province Car Rental (EconomyBookings)

Compare rates from various rental car companies, self-drive (price confirmed at time of reservation) · Make reservation after checking price

View on EconomyBookings

Khon Kaen Province Airport–City Private Taxi

Fixed-rate advance booking, door-to-door pickup · Check price and book

View on Kiwitaxi

Khon Kaen Province Car Rental (Qeeq)

Compare budget-friendly rental cars with a free-cancellation option (check the price when booking) · Check price and book

View on Qeeq
Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on mapSeeing Khon Kaen with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Experiences, food and sights are travel products in Khon Kaen.

Total cost and budget for Khon Kaen International Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · Trip.comFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Khon Kaen International Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Khon Kaen runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Khon Kaen International Marathon

FAQ
When does Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027 take place?

It takes place on Sun, January 10, 2027 in Khon Kaen, Thailand.

How much is the Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027 entry fee?

The main event costs THB 1,100.

What is the time limit for Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027?

Full 7 hours · half marathon 3 hours 30 minutes · Mini 2 hours.

What distances does Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027 offer?

Marathon · Half · 10K.

Where does Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027 start?

Kalpapruek Road, in front of the Kanchanaphisek Multipurpose Convention Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen.

What is the Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027 course like?

The event offers three distances: the 42.195-km marathon, half marathon 21.10 km, and the 11.55-km mini marathon.

The start and finish are both at the Kanchanaphisek (Golden Jubilee) Multipurpose Convention Center on Kalapaphruek Road inside the Khon Kaen University campus.

Khon Kaen University organizes the event,…

Where does Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027 finish?

Kalpapruek Road, in front of the Kanchanaphisek Multipurpose Convention Center, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen.

Where can I book a hotel near the Khon Kaen International Marathon 2027 start?

You can compare live prices for hotels around the start in Khon Kaen in the STAY section of this page.

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