I did it. I signed up for my first ever long-distance running event — not a triathlon, not a duathlon, just a straight-up trail run. And I did it in one of the most beautiful places in Northern Thailand.
Here’s the full video from race day. Hit play — I promise it’s worth it.
Why I Signed Up for a Trail Race
So, running is my worst discipline in triathlon. In fact, I used to hate running. It’s hard on my knees and I’m probably going to need a titanium replace by the time I’m 53.
Since my running sucks, I made the decision to start signing up for standalone running events in 2026, forcing myself to put in the kilometers.
The Mae Kampong Mini Cross Country was the perfect starting point. It’s a trail race held right here near Chiang Mai, with distance options of 14km, 20km, and 31km.
The course was pretty simple. You run through the village in the morning, climb the steps beside the Mae Kampong waterfall, then enjoy the stunning view at the top and head back down.
Overall, the elevation gain was 900 to 1,300 meters above sea level.
My First “Valentine’s Date” Run
Since this event took place on February 14 / 15, I asked a Thai girl to join me and let’s just say… this was not the Valentine’s date she was expecting.
When you suggest a romantic outing and it turns out to be a 6 AM start time, trail shoes, and a few hours of running through the mountains covered in sweat and dirt — that’s a special kind of romance, eh?
As always, I didn’t sleep good before the race. I’ve gotta improve this, because sleeping 2 to 3 hours then waking up in a panic to prep for a race is not going to lead to my best performances.
Running With Friends, Not Against Them
Speaking of performance, after the race a few friends (who are die-hard padel players) asked about my time. They play competitive sports and care about rankings and comparing themselves with others.
It’s one big ego trip, if you ask me.
When I told them I finish in about 3 hours and my Valentine’s date ended up getting 6th place their reaction was: “you should have ditched her to achieve your best performance.” As you can guess, these “friends” of mine are very much single.
Personally, this was just a fun run. Plus I did it with my Valentine’s date so the challenge was to finish and get the extra t-shirt (lol).
Although, I ended up getting my first ever iTRA rating, check it out:
Why Mae Kampong is Special
If you haven’t been to Mae Kampong yet, you need to fix that.
Mae Kampong is a small mountain village about 50 kilometers east of Chiang Mai — roughly an hour’s drive from the city center. It sits at around 1,300 meters above sea level, which means the air is cooler, cleaner, and an absolute relief from the heat of the Chiang Mai valley.
The village is home to around 500 people and has been here for over a century, originally settled by farmers from Doi Saket who came to grow tea leaves for a local delicacy called mieng (fermented tea leaves).
In more recent decades, the village started growing coffee under the Royal Project initiative, and community-based eco-tourism has transformed this sleepy little hamlet into a destination. But here’s what makes it genuinely special: it still feels like a real village.
The traditional wooden houses are built along the creek, there are flowers everywhere, and there’s a stream running right through the center fed by the Mae Kampong Waterfall. The whole place has this magical, almost Japanese mountain-village quality to it. Steep narrow roads, the smell of fresh coffee, the sound of water.
It’s become something of an Instagram hotspot in recent years, which is a double-edged sword. But visit on a weekday or come early, and you’ll still catch that quiet, tucked-away feeling that made it famous in the first place.
How to Get There
The simplest way is to drive or ride a scooter from Chiang Mai.
The road is beautiful but winding and steep — not for nervous drivers. If you don’t have your own wheels, there’s a shared van service that runs from Warorot Market in Chiang Mai to Mae Kampong. Round trip is about 350 baht per person with a few departures per day. Book in advance though because I hear seats fill up.
Where to Stay
There are plenty of homestays in the village, ranging from about 500 THB to 4,500 THB per night.
Mae Kampong Hill is a popular choice — it’s a three-story building about 3km from the main village street with a sky terrace for stargazing and incredible mountain views. Rooms run about 2,000 THB including breakfast. The village operates as a cooperative, so the revenue from tourism goes back into supporting the community.
I stayed at Rambieng Nam Homestay for just 1,000 baht (about $42 CAD).
Khao Soi Kloijai
When you visit Mae Kampong, Khao Soi Gloijai is my go-to restaurant
If you’ve spent any time in Northern Thailand, you know that khao soi — the rich, coconut curry noodle soup — is basically a religion up here. And Gloijai does it right. The chicken khao soi is rich, flavorful, and comes with all the proper fixings: squeeze of lime, pickled vegetables, shallots. It’s the kind of meal that makes you wonder why you ever eat anything else.
They’re open daily from around 8 AM to 7 PM, and it’s right in the heart of the village.
There’s also an amazing ice cream shop across the street. Its about 85 baht for soft serve ice cream and it was one of the best I ever tried. I almost couldn’t finish it!
The Post-Race Recovery
After the race, we treated ourselves to a proper 1.5-hour Thai massage at โรงเรียนสอนนวดแผนไทยและสปา เฮือนสมุนไพรสไบนาง (Heuan Samunprai Sabai Nang Thai Massage School & Spa). It’s actually a massage school, so you’re getting worked on by people who are training under experienced instructors — and the quality shows. They were incredibly friendly and welcoming, and after a morning of pounding trails, my legs desperately needed the attention.
Highly recommend booking a session after any race in the Chiang Mai area. There’s nothing quite like a Thai massage after you’ve just pushed your body through mountain trails.
Watch the Full Video
If you haven’t already hit play on the video at the top, here it is again. I put together a race-day edit that captures the whole experience — the trails, the village, the podium moment, all of it.
- Watch the video on YouTube (and subscribe please!)
What’s Next
My 2026 race calendar is stacked:
- KhaoKho 50km — May 2026
- AKHA Trail 80km — August 2026
- Pattana 70.3 Triathlon — October 2026
- Chiang Dao 100km — December 2026
I booked all these events a week AFTER finishing the Mae Kampong Mini-Cross Country. The goal is to become an official ultra trail runner.
Hopefully my knees don’t blow out by the end of the year!
If you enjoyed this post and want to follow along with my training journey toward Ironman, the races, and life as a Canadian endurance athlete in Southeast Asia — consider supporting me. Every bit helps fuel the next adventure.