Mekong River International Multi-Sport ITU Asian Cup 2009 - March 27-29, 2009
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Sports enthusiasts travel to a Mekong river border town to compete for glory and a handsome purse. Triathlon enthusiasts are a healthy and resilient bunch. They travel far and wide, against all odds, to participate in their favourite three-discipline sport. That was very apparent when just days after Bangkok’s airports reopened, following a week of down time, late last year, the Phuket Triathlon hardly missed a beat in attendance.
Organisers reported less than 5% cancellations, a solid confirmation that sports
tourism in Thailand is on a roll.
So no surprises when a host of new
triathlon events appear on Thailand’s annual events calendar One of them is
scheduled for Nong Khai, a town on the banks of the Mekong River, facing
neighbouring Laos. This small northeast town picked up the baton to host an
event endorsed by the International Triathlon Union. It promises to put the
upper Northeast region on the tourism map.
Mekong River International Multi-Sport ITU Asian Cup, 2009, provides a packed programme over three days, from 27 to 29 March, with the starting and finishing line in downtown Nong Khai next to the picturesque Mekong River.
Three distinct events should attract a bumper turnout across all age groups as participants compete for an overall purse of Bt760,000 shared by 10 race categories.
An Aquathlon, 27 March, pits swimmers over a 1.5-km course on the Mekong River, followed by a 5-km run through downtown Nong Khai.
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The grand finale, 29 March, is the Olympic distance Triathlon starting with a 1.5-km swim in the river and followed by an arduous 40-km ride on a closed highway on the outskirts of Nong Khai. It concludes with a 5-km run through the town.
Nong Khai is just 52 km from the nearest airport at Udon Thani, served by both Thai Airways International and low-cost airline, Air Asia. A daily train service also runs from Bangkok to Nong Khai’s station, located close to the Mekong River. Currently the line ends short of the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, but a new track across the river bridge to the Lao capital, Vientiane should open later this month.
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Hightlights :
Buddy Bike & Run
Aquathlon Asian Cup
Series 2009
Duathlon Asian Cup Series 2009
Triathlon ITU Asian Cup
2009
Let’s see Thai-Lao Friendship Brideg, OTOP Fair, Food Fair,
etc.
For More Information :
Triathlon
Association of Thailand, Tel. 66 (0) 2578 4515, (0) 814 843 335
TAT Udon
Thani, Tel. 66 (0) 4232 5406-7
Events Planning Division,TAT, Tel. 66 (0) 2250
5500 ext. 3475-77
TAT Call Center 1672
website : www.thaitriathlon.org