Thai Marathoner Kirin Sets National Record in Chicago Debut
Thai national team runner Kirin Tantipavay set a new Thai marathon record of 2:08:01 at the 2026 Chicago Marathon in his debut at the distance. The five-time SEA Games gold medalist and Tokyo 2020 Olympian said he is focusing on major marathons next year rather than the Olympics, and was recently named the first Thai Global Brand Ambassador for SUUNTO.
Kirin Tantipavay returned to Thailand after completing his first marathon and setting a new Thai national record. The athlete revealed he is not yet looking toward the Olympic Games, preferring to focus on three major marathons next year to achieve the best possible records. Kirin achieved the feat at the 2026 Chicago Marathon on October 11 with a time of 2 hours 8 minutes 1 second, a new Thai marathon record and the first marathon of his career.
Most recently on October 22, 2026, Kirin Tantipavay, Thai national track and field athlete, traveled back to Thailand to attend a press conference launching him as the first Thai Global Brand Ambassador for the brand, alongside the launch of the SUUNTO Run 2 watch for the new generation of runners. Kirin said running in Chicago was great fun and he thought he performed well, noting that many runners posted modest times due to the hot weather in Chicago, but he was happy throughout the three months of training, which was extremely tough. In a single week he ran no less than 200 kilometers, went to the gym daily for at least 25 minutes, and got a massage once a week. It was exhausting, with no time for anything besides training, eating, and sleeping — boring, but he personally likes that approach.
"Before the Chicago race I thought I could finish in 2 hours 6 minutes, but with weather conditions not as favorable as hoped, the time wasn't as good as I wanted. Still, it's okay. After this I believe I can go even lower. My goal moving forward is still to focus on marathons. Next year I plan to race 2-3 marathons, likely London, Boston, or Chicago. I'm not looking at the Olympics yet because I believe if I run good times in those marathons, the opportunity to reach the Olympic Games will come. I plan to return to marathon training in January next year."
Previously, Kirin won a total of five SEA Games gold medals in the 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters, and 10,000 meters, and became the first Thai male runner to compete in the 10,000 meters at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
