Course Map
Route based on 2024 course — may differ slightly from this year.
About this Race
The Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok sends runners through the heart of the Thai capital on a flat, fully closed point-to-point course that starts at the MBK Center in Pathum Wan and finishes at Sanam Luang beside the Royal Grand Palace. The route threads past the Victory Monument, the marble temple of Wat Benchamabophit and the Anantasamakhom Throne Hall before crossing the Chao Phraya River on the cable-stayed Rama VIII Bridge and looping along an elevated expressway. Distinctive among major marathons for its pre-dawn start, the race unfolds largely in darkness to dodge the tropical heat, with runners reaching the finish as the sun rises over the palace spires. Hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, it draws a vast, festive and heavily international field across full and half marathon plus shorter distances, making it Southeast Asia's largest road race and a genuine destination event.
Course Insight
The headline challenge is not the profile but the climate: even with a 2 a.m. gun, Bangkok's night air sits in the low-to-mid 20s°C with humidity well above 70%, so heat accumulates steadily rather than spiking. The opening stretch through Siam and past the Victory Monument is fast and well-lit, which tempts runners into banking time — the classic trap, because it's the second half where conditions bite. The hardest section is the run out onto the Rama VIII Bridge and the Borommaratchachonnani elevated expressway: long, exposed, monotonous and almost entirely without spectators, and many runners report coming undone somewhere around 30 km out there. Crowd support is thickest near the start in the Siam area and again at the finish around Sanam Luang and the Grand Palace, and thinnest on the highway. Run the first half conservatively, treat every aid station as mandatory, and keep something in reserve for the climb back over the bridge.
Difficulty Breakdown
Mostly due to challenging typical weather.
Course Details
- Course type
- Point-To-Point
- Elevation gain
- 130m
- Elevation loss
- 134m
- Highest point
- 27m
- Lowest point
- 8m
- Net elevation
- -4m
- Start
- MBK Center on Phayathai Road
- Cutoff time
- 7h 0m
Course Records
- Men's
- 2:14:27 — Agunafr Bekele (Ethiopia), 2025
- Women's
- 2:39:27 — Eunice Muchiri (Ethiopia), 2025
Race History
Launched in 2018, the marathon originally ran from Rajamangala Stadium to the Democracy Monument before relocating to start at the MBK Center and finish at Sanam Luang. Backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and growing into the country's flagship road race, it earned a World Athletics Bronze Label and AIMS recognition, and now draws tens of thousands of runners across all distances. Marathon world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge has served as a tourism ambassador for the event, raising its international profile.
Plan Your Trip
Everything you need to know to get there, get settled, and get to the start line.
- Nearest airport(s)
- Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (BKK), Don Mueang (DMK)
- Best area to stay
- Rattanakosin in the old city for proximity to the riverside course and landmarks, Sukhumvit for modern hotels and nightlife, and the Riverside for upscale stays.
- Getting to the start
- The start is near Sanam Luang by the Grand Palace; take a taxi or the MRT/BTS to the nearest station and walk, as the night start beats the heat.