THE first Ibis Koh Samui Trophy Adventure Race is set to take place on Sept. 19, with 2,000 racers and 150 teams from around the world expected to participate. The race is part of the Amazing Thailand Adventure Race series, which has had its staging in Kanchanaburi, Nong Chok and Chiangmai.

The event will start and finish from the magnificent beachfront of ibis hotel in Bophut.

The Koh Samui Trophy will have four disciplines: running, cycling, kayaking and swimming.

It will have five categories for competitors: men, women, mixed, masters and seniors.

Serge Henkens, race director and managing director of Active Management Asia, which is handling the race series, said Koh Samui was picked as a venue because it has all the ingredients of a memorable adventure racing.

The race is seen to spur the tourism industry of Samui during its low season.

Erwann Mahe, executive general manager of ibis in Bophut, said in a past news conference announcing the holding of the race on Samui that they could not refuse when the project was offered to them for support because they found it to be so exciting.
With the theme “Racing for a Green Koh Samui,” the Ibis Koh Samui Trophy Adventure Race “is a dynamic and eco-friendly way for people to enjoy a great fun day outdoors,” he said.

THA representative Narisa also said that the race “promotes Samui as a destination using the island’s terrain to its best advantage.”