“Back to Thailand Running Boom” the New-Normal Running Event
Thai Health Promotion Foundation joined hands with the government in organising a national-level panel discussion in a countdown to the grand event “Back to Thailand Running BOOM” under the New Normal principles under an effort to create a phenomenally new standards in running event.
ThaiHealth CEO, Dr Supreda Adulyanon, presided over the opening of the panel discussion on “Back to Thailand Running Boom”, the launch of “Run At Home” and “The Next Normal of Road Race Manual” handy guidelines to help runners to prepare themselves prior to their return to the field. The event was held on August 13, 2020 at Meeting Room 201, Thai Health Promotion Foundation headquarters in Bangkok.
“I strongly believe that the Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ reinstatement of 31 types of sport event after nationwide coronavirus lockdowns will be a beginning of a new normalcy of health promotion that health lovers are anticipating, and this is the reason why we are organising this discussion,” said Dr Supreeda.
Dr. Pairoj Saonuam, Assistant CEO, said that ThaiHealth and its network have been in several meetings with an aim to organise the grand event of “Back to Thailand Running Boom” in a hope that running events in Thailand will be back in fashion as they are thought to be an essential part of economic recovery in many cities hosting such events. “In terms of employment, tourism, and sports value, running events will reignite Thai people’s energetic power to come back to do exercises for the sake of their own health. So, we must outthink and prepare the best measures possible,” said Dr Pairoj.
Ms Bongkocharat Moli, Director of General Affairs Division of the National Sports Policy Committee, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said that public sport events are leading to creating jobs, which is in line with the national strategic development masterplan. It is thought that running events help bringing about as much as 7 to 10 billion baht of circulation annually. As the coronavirus-stricken year 2020 has been forcing sport events for the public to scrap so far, now the running event has become 1 of 31 sport types that are reinstated in the white list of events allowed to be organised.
However, we will have to strictly follow the disease control measures. To make it easier, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports has come up with a new security measure to facilitate running event organisers. A QR code system in this new platform collects necessary information from running event organisers for requesting of submission for provincial governors’ approval. This is believed to set the new standards for the re-emerging of running boom in Thailand.
Mr Jirut Issarangura Na Ayudhya, Director of Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) said that the new lifestyle adjustment and direction will permit TCEB to come back on the arena as a PR and financial supporter by helping with the public relations and lifting such events onto the international standards. The Global Advisory Council in July ranked Thailand as the first of 184 countries with the best recovery from coronavirus. He said this good news will help bringing up Thailand’s public health profile in the world stage, and a golden opportunity to raise health-related activities into the spotlight – especially open-air and adventure events that help reducing the cases of crowding in confined spaces. As Thailand is branded as a Safe Destination, trail running and road running events may be some of the first running events that can accept foreign participants when vaccination is enforced.
Mr Poramet Phakdikhiriphraivalya, Director of Professional Sport Support and Development Division of the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT), said that the organisation has released the “Run At Home” handy guidelines to help runners to prepare themselves prior to their return to the field, in terms of body readjustment and pre-event trainings to strengthen runners’ physical efficiency, while counting down in anticipation of the returning normalcy of livelihood and good health. The “Next Normal of Road Race Manual” created by Thailand Federation of Health Walking-Running Clubs also echoed the SAT’s move to continuously develop the nation’s sport industry. He also gave assurance to road and trail running communities that it was now high time that Thailand resumed recovering and improving national economy and tourism.
Special guest speakers have also present to talk about several topics, including “New-Normal Lifestyle and New Measures in Organising Public Sport Events” by Bongkocharat Moli, Director of General Affairs Division of the National Sports Policy Committee, Ministry of Tourism and Sports; “Road Running Event Under New Normal” by Poramet Phakdikhiriphraivalya, Director of Professional Sport Support and Development Division of the Sports Authority of Thailand; “Sport Events Under New Normal” by Jirut Issarangura Na Ayudhya, Director of Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); “New Normal, Health and Exercises” by Dr Phiroj Saonuam, Deputy CEO of Thai Health Promotion Foundation; “Athletics: New Standards of Road Running Under New Normal” by Pol Maj Gen Surapong Ariyamongkol, Vice President of Atheletics Association of Thailand; launch of “The Next Normal of Road Race Manual” by Narong Thiammek, Manager of Thailand Federation of Health Walking-Running Clubs; “Synergy in New Role Towards Public Sport Industry Under New Normal” by Rat Jirotvanichakorn, President of the Trade Association of Thai Public Sports.
