Running - Northern Thailand 🇹🇭
Where Mountains Call Your Stride
Seven weeks in the north. Three regions. Dozens of trails beneath our feet.
Here's what we discovered.
Why Northern Thailand
What strikes you first is the laid-back atmosphere, wrapped in rolling hills and valleys of vivid green stretching as far as the eye can see.
Northern Thailand is a dream playground for trail lovers. The running community here is alive and thriving, with online groups bringing together expats and travellers seeking adventures on the trails; just search Chiang Mai Trail or Chiang Mai Runners on Facebook to find your crew.
The region overflows with red dirt paths linking hilltop villages, temples, and plantations. Some are wide enough for vehicles, most are made for our footsteps. Your GPS and Strava routes will be your best allies; permanent trail markers simply don't exist here. Download your GPX files before you head out.
A few realities to know: Sidewalks are virtually non-existent everywhere. So be prepared to run along roadsides until the trail swallows you whole. For getting around, Grab or Bolt become your go-to companions — apps with fixed prices, zero haggling. Drivers will take you by taxi or motorbike wherever you want, any time of day or night. That said, for us, renting a scooter was the best choice — total freedom, around the clock. A good tip: early morning will always be the best time to run! Running shops are easy to find on the ground: Running 2paradise, Banana Run, or Decathlon.
Chiang Mai
The Trail Capital of Southeast Asia
While the region earned its fame through the UTMB Asia Major finale held in the heart of its scenic trails, it's the entire territory that won us over. There are options for every type of run, distance, and training session. Not to mention the race offerings, from international marathons to a staggering 250 km challenge.
A Few Routes We Loved
Intervals and Easy Runs — The Urban Spots
→ CMU — Chiang Mai University
This is the daily gathering spot for your speed sessions or recovery runs. You'll cross paths with local runners, holidaymakers, and foreign residents alike.
The loop(5-10km) circles a lovely reservoir, winds through a park, then cuts across campus. Photo ops abound, and cafés and restaurants are just steps away to celebrate your effort.
Accessible by motorbike or on foot. Aim for runs before 6:30 a.m. to beat the morning traffic. Or take advantage of weekends to meet plenty of active folks like yourself!
The university also has a stadium with a track that's well worth a session.
→ PAO Park
The start and finish line of the HOKA Chiang Mai Thailand 100 by UTMB®️. The perfect spot for a mellow jog before or after a mountain adventure. Ideal for strides and outdoor strength sessions. If you're passing through in December or early January, the park will be dressed in its finest for the Charming Chiang Mai Flower Festival.
→ Huay Tung Tao
Another option in a peaceful, lush, and restorative setting: start from Huay Tung Tao Running Track and head around the Huay Tueng Thao reservoir. From there, you can do short or long loops, or even connect to PAO Park and the CHEDI 20 trail. Around the reservoir, you'll find restaurants and rest areas. Note that entry is paid after 9:30 a.m.
Strava →
Strava — Link to CHEDI 20 →
→ National Stadium
For laps on a proper 400 m track, the national stadium offers an alternative we really enjoyed. You can run around the grounds or just stick to the track. We loved it because it's less crowded than CMU and mostly frequented by locals. Plus, from there you can connect to Huay Tung Tao, PAO Park, and the long cycling path —A route that lets you run in the middle of the day without worrying about cars and motorbikes coming from every direction.
Exploration — The UTMB Trails
Chiang Mai is surrounded by hills, so options abound. We highly recommend checking out the HOKA Chiang Mai Thailand 100 by UTMB®️ course maps for inspiration. That's exactly what we did during our stay.
The method is simple: get to the starting point, then follow the trail point-to-point until you reach an exit. There, you'll always find a café, a restaurant, and a road back. Each section has its own character and deserves your attention.
As a bonus, two official Strava segments are waiting for you!
🔗 Official Chiang Mai by UTMB Website
While there's still so much left for us to explore here, the UTMB sections we ran in reconnaissance and race mode are, in our view, fantastic segments — runnable and easy to organize logistically.
Our Favourite Sections on the Elephant 100km Course:
→ A11 to A13 — Spectacular at dusk. These kilometres will stay etched in your memory.
Strava →
→ A13 to PAO Park — A gorgeous 35 km with a solid 20 km of nearly continuous descent. Perfect for sharpening your technique.
Strava →
→ Doi Pui to PAO Park — Pure downhill work 🤣
Strava →
→ From the Start to A12 via A9 (Wat Phra Phutthabat Si Roi) — Solid elevation gain and a vibrant, colourful temple waiting for you halfway through.
Strava →
Along the same lines, the routes from other UTMB races are also great options. We tested the one from:
→ CHEDI 20
A rolling route that includes a lake loop. Technical without being intimidating, demanding without being crushing, varied at every turn. An excellent gateway to the region's trails.
Outside of race season, no worries — most trails remain runnable year-round. Just be cautious during monsoon season: streams can turn into impassable obstacles or leave you soaked from head to toe.
What We Didn't Explore This Time (But You Should)
Doi Inthanon — The roof of Thailand. Wander its trails, pass through its hamlets, watch the dawn from the summit, admire the royal pagodas. A must if you're staying in the region.
Monk Trail and Doi Suthep — Everyone will tell you about them. Heavily trafficked, often crowded. Not our style. We preferred the local routes, where authenticity remains intact. But we'll admit: the first time we came here five years ago, we did it and loved it.
There's also the old city and along the river, but we wouldn't recommend running there during the day — it's very hot and not particularly safe with the traffic. Between 4 and 6 a.m. should be your target for any runs you're planning in town.
Chiang Dao — A Must!
The Majestic Mountain
One hour north of Chiang Mai. A world apart.
Doi Chiang Dao. 2,175 metres. The country's third-highest peak.
The climb to the summit (limited to certain times of year) requires a certified guide and a permit booked weeks in advance. But the most breathtaking views of Chiang Dao also reveal themselves from its base. It's also a designated dark sky reserve — well worth the trip! If you visit in winter, it's a bonus: the air is crisp, and darkness and stars arrive earlier.
The territory brims with dirt roads and gravel paths winding between mountain villages and traditional communities. Homestays are plentiful. Unique, stunning cafés pop up where you least expect them. The views are always spectacular.
Exploration — Mountain Trails
From Chiang Dao Youth Camp, the possibilities open up endlessly. Trails cross ancestral communities, run alongside terraced rice paddies, and climb toward extraordinary lookouts. Options for short and long distances abound.
Check out local race websites like Chiang Dao 100 or CoreX 250 to find route ideas and reliable GPX files. Absolutely remarkable 15, 30, or 50 km options await you.
Strava — 30 km Route →
Strava — 15 km Route →
Chiang Rai
The Best-Kept Secret
Even further north. Here, trail running stays under the radar.
Tourists from around the world flock to the temples: white, blue, and black, but few linger to explore the trails beyond the hills. Yet the region holds dozens of them.
As elsewhere, you won't find your running bliss in the city; no sidewalks, heavy traffic. And honestly, not much charm… in our opinion. Everything happens in the countryside. Along rivers, rolling hills, and water buffalo grazing peacefully. Country roads, back paths, and modern cafés hidden in the greenery are treasures that arrive just in time during or after our trail outings.
Exploration — The Backcountry
Chiang Rai's hidden gem. A road route through nature that no guidebook mentions.
Aim for off-class hours or dawn. You'll pass through a lush botanical garden, tackle rewarding elevation, and have the chance to string together at least 15 km without retracing your steps.
Beyond campus, the paths dive into the surrounding hills; exploration has no limits. A true paradise!
→ Nang Lae and Ban Li Khai
Our absolute favourites. Hamlets suspended in time where every dirt path tells a story.
Country roads will guide you toward mountainside climbs, valley panoramas, and breathtaking views of terraced rice paddies. You'll run alongside peaceful rivers and cross sections punctuated by waterfalls. Moments where you'll stop, captivated, before picking up your stride again. And of course, a café or restaurant awaits at the end of the loop.
Options Near Town
→ Cycling path along the river or road around the lake — Perfect for short or long runs with no elevation.
Strava →
→ Ban Nong Pueng — A peaceful lake loop, off the tourist circuit, with the option to climb to a hilltop temple offering a stunning view.
Strava →
→ Stadium and track laps
Strava →
Our Final Word
Northern Thailand is vast. We've only scratched the surface of its splendour.
But here's what we know now: Northern provinces have something. A vibe. A certain “je ne sais quoi” that settles in quietly and never lets go.
Maybe it's the red dirt trails at dawn. The temples appearing around a bend. The smiles from people you pass along the way. The cafés lost in the middle of nowhere. The sunrises over the rice paddies. That feeling of total freedom when you set off down an unknown path, GPS in hand, not quite sure where it will lead.
Or maybe it's all of that at once. A combination impossible to replicate anywhere else.
Northern Thailand doesn't reveal itself right away. It asks for time, curiosity, and a desire to go off the beaten path — literally.
The mountains are patient. They'll still be there when you're ready.
And us? We can't wait to go back. To find again the trails that gave us so much. To discover the ones we haven't yet run.
Because seven weeks was only the beginning.
Run. Connect. Share. Travel.
UltraNomades – We ®️U.N.
