Fast Eddy wins Patong mini-marathon

PATONG: “Fast Eddy” Ou of the Hash House Harriers made it two years in a row when he won the “Fun Run” Mini-Marathon held to mark the beginning of the tourist season on Monday. Fewer than 50 runners took part in the 16-km race which went from the football field on Thaweewong Road to the Karon traffic circle and back. Eddy was typically shy and retiring about his win. “There are lots of hills, and it’s a long way, so I kept to a moderate pace right from the start.” Last year, the tough course saw a high dropout rate because of extremely hot weather. This year, thanks to the slight drizzle before the race, the going was cooler and fewer runners fell by the wayside. Following Eddy home to second and third place in the Men’s Open were Chadarak Chaikamjorn and Thaweesak Seu-Saat. American Suzanne Forman beat the Gazette’s Elke Cheong and Pluemchit Sae-Lok to win the Women’s Open. For Suzanne it was a remarkable feat. She last ran in the race 10 years ago, coming in second. “I planned only to complete the race, but when I heard my friends cheering me, I just had to push myself over the hills,” she said.