Laos Trail Running

Category: Trail Run

  • 5k Moonlighting – Training Diary — Week 1

    5k Moonlighting – Training Diary — Week 1

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    Tom
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    5K Block Begins This week marks the start of a new training diary series and a new block focused on a nighttime 5K at the end of February and the Synesis Vientiane Half Marathon ຊິນເນສິສ ວຽງຈັນ ແລ່ນເພື່ອສຸຂະພາບ. I’m repeating Dr. Will O’Connor’s 3000 / 5000 metre five-week plan, which I used in 2024 to set…

  • Into the Forest — Attapeu Trails

    Into the Forest — Attapeu Trails

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    Tom
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    A couple of years back, I was working and running in Attapeu, I noticed a new track cut off the main access road — one that hadn’t been there before. I’d run that stretch plenty of times and never noticed a trail in that spot, so it must’ve been freshly cut, maybe only a few…

  • The Only FKT in Laos: Khao Nang Mountain Viewpoint

    The Only FKT in Laos: Khao Nang Mountain Viewpoint

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    Tom
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    In Laos, there’s just one official entry on FastestKnownTime.com: the Khao Nang Mountain Viewpoint. It’s not a commonly run route, but it is a fun adventure not far from Vientiane with a fantastic cliff-top viewpoint and 1000m of elevation gain. The Route: A Three-Pointed Star The course climbs the southeastern side of the plateau in…

  • Staying Safe on the Trails in Laos: Risks and Precautions for Hikers and Runners

    Staying Safe on the Trails in Laos: Risks and Precautions for Hikers and Runners

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    Tom
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    Laos offers some of the most rewarding outdoor adventures in Southeast Asia. Towering limestone cliffs, jungle ridgelines, hidden waterfalls, and rice field trails straight from a postcard make it an irresistible destination for hikers and trail runners. Trails are abundant, but these typically aren’t constructed or maintained for recreation. They are working trails used daily…

  • The Ghost on the Trail

    The Ghost on the Trail

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    Tom
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    I was trail running deep in the forest by myself. In Phu Khao Khouay, I’d been looking at these trails for a long time. I’d gone exploring with a friend there once before (you can read about that time separately), and I finally got a chance to get out there again. This time, I took…

  • V Trail Vang Vieng, 86k DNF Report

    V Trail Vang Vieng, 86k DNF Report

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    Tom
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    I trained long and hard for this race. Since the Luang Prabang Ultra Trail in October 2023, I’ve done 855km and 13785 m gained plus a couple of dozen gym sessions. I had some great adventures in that time. I did my ever-highest weekly and monthly kilometre and elevation totals, I did a solo 50k…

  • Luang Prabang Ultra Trail 30k – 2023 Edition

    Luang Prabang Ultra Trail 30k – 2023 Edition

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    Tom
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    A long-awaited trail race for me, having DNS for the X Race in August. I had 2 x 12-week training blocks under my belt since my 50k in June. I was expecting a tough race, and I changed up my training after the 50k where I found I was road-ready but not mountain-ready. Shuttle service…