Less than 200 Km to go – Toon reaches 2,000 Km milestone mark on Day 52

Rock star Artiwara “Toon” Kongmalai reached the 2,000km mark of his 2,191km charity run early this morning (Friday) amid chilling weather of 10 degrees Celsius.

Toon and his group started the day’s first lap at 3:20am from their rest point in Ban Mae Prao village in Tambon Ban Huad in Lapang’s Ngao district when the mercury was about 10C or lower. The group had to wear jackets for the run. Local residents and hill-tribe children waited beside fires alongside the road to cheer on the fundraising star.

When Toon reached Wat Jong Kham in Tambon Ban Huad, he stopped and went inside to pay respects to the abbot, Luangpu Opas Opasa. The abbot blessed Toon and gave him a Buddha image and sacred rosary along with a donation of 100,000 baht.

At the temple, Toon found an 80 year old woman waiting, so he hugged her and she shed tears of joy. The old woman made a wish for Toon to reach his destination in Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai safe and sound.

At 5.20am, Toon reached the 2,000km mark on the Lampan to Phayao road. As he finished the day’s fifth and last lap for Day 50 on Wednesday, Toon had covered 1,985kilometres of his 2,191km goal. He rested on Day 51 because of knee pain.

On Friday, Toon planned to run in four laps. The first lap of 19 kilometres would end at a park in Tambon Ban Pao in Ngao district. He will then run 11 kilometres for the second leg to Tambon Pong Tao, also in Ngao district. He will run 9.2 kilometres to a museum in Tambon Ban Rong, also in Ngao. Toon is scheduled to reach Phayao on the fourth lap after running the final 13.2 kilometres to Ban Mae Ka Tha Kham in Mueang district.

STORY: The Nation