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It was an early start for the Pattaya Otter as due to the daytime heat level, the 10th annual Pattaya Marathon was due to start on Beach Road at 4 o’clock in the morning, and the preliminaries to commence well before then.
We were also advised (incorrectly as it happened) that the roads would be closed long before the start and so it would be necessary to arrive there at least an hour beforehand.
So on a clear cool pleasant night after arising at an unearthly 2 AM, we arrived at the start point to find the stage already set-up and a growing throng of runners, dignitaries and spectators milling around.
I n addition to being the 10th running of this event, this year in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s 72nd (6th cycle) birthday, it was renamed the Pattaya Queens Cup Marathon and a new trophy was to be awarded accordingly.
As is the custom with most marathons, the first competitors to  set off were the wheelchair contestants and at 3:50 AM they were duly set on their way.
Ten minutes later the main full distance event commenced with an impressive field of local and international runners.
The course took the runners along most of the main roads through Pattaya and Jomtien with a common start and finish for all events but the shorter distance runners following differing routes from the main event.
To ensure that all the front runners from all events finished at more or less the same time, the remaining events were s taggered so that the half marathon runners set off at 5 AM and the quarter marathon and fun runners at 6 AM.
To help keep the crowds entertained in the intervals between the se starts a number of street performances were staged including fire dancers, and acrobats, plus of course the appearance of the usual bevy of ‘dolly girls’.
As in most marathons these days, in addition to the serious international and club runners, a large number of people also took part - just for ‘fun’. This included several ‘expats’ known to us and also in the shorter distance events a huge throng of children of all sexes ages and sizes.
 One of the more unusual competitors was this lady and her dogs each of whom was a registered runner for the quarter marathon.
At 5 o’clock the next set of runners, those taking part in the Half M arathon lined up and were duly dispatched on their way.
At 5:33 AM the first of the wheelchair competitors returned and crossed the finish line in an impressive time of 1 hour 43 minutes.
To ensure that these finishers did not interfere with the start of the final event at 6 o’clock the start and finish line was then split into two sections and this was later used to keep the full marathon and shorter event finishers apart.
This event which set off at the same time as the fun run had naturally the largest number of entrants and so the start was quite dramatic with the whole throng lining up and then trying to get going when the g un fired. Those at the rear took several minutes to cross the start line and even then had only space  to proceed at walking pace.
Those of us trying to take photos had to rapidly take evasive action as this huge mass threatened to engulf us.
But eventually they were on their way. And we had a short time to relax and watch some more of the wheelchair competitors finishing whilst awaiting the return of the first finishers in the full and half marathons.
The first runner home in the full marathon was John Kelar of Kenya and we were later given his time as 2 hours 26 minutes and 31 seconds. In short order then the finishers from all the various events crossed the finish line in r apidly growing numbers with a good number of full marathon runners completing the course in under 3 hours.
Some runners came in looking like they had just been out for a short stroll and others returned barely able to stagger across the line but all had the satisfaction of knowing they had completed the event and the relief and joy showed on their faces.
By this time it was daylight and shortly afterwards everyone moved to the a djacent main stage for the prize giving.
Amongst those invited on stage was the oldest competitor in the event a man well into his 80’s who seemed not the least taxed by either the run or his subsequent celebrity status.
Meanwhile finishers continued to arrive and were still doing so when we left at around 9 o’clock.
By this time the sun was rising in the sky so those who took the longer to complete the course found it increasingly hard going.
But this will not prevent them all lining up to do it all again next year.
To view any of the above photos in full size, just click on it.
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