ThaiHealthFund begins the new year by joining forces with partners to energize new runners, with over 3,000 people participating in the Thai Health Day Run 2026 to promote sustainable health lifestyles.
Creating a movement among health enthusiasts, ThaiHealthFund, together with the Federation of Walking and Running Clubs, launched the new year by encouraging habitual physical activity. More than 3,000 runners joined the “Thai Health Day Run 2026: Run Toward a New Way of Life,” highlighting the concept of running to reduce disease with the message “Just go for a run, and your organs will run too.” The campaign emphasized that regular walking and running help maintain heart, vascular, and overall body system health, inviting people to walk or run safely around their neighborhoods.
At 4:00 a.m. on 25 Jan 2026, under the Rama VIII Bridge in Bangkok, the ThaiHealthFund, in collaboration with the Federation of Walking and Running Clubs for Thai Health and partner networks, hosted the 13th “Thai Health Day Run 2026: Run Toward a New Way of Life” event, themed “Just go for a run, and your organs will run too.”
Dr. Surachet Satitiniramai, the second vice-chairman of the ThaiHealthFund, said the “Thai Health Day Run 2026” aims to promote sufficient physical activity, reduce sedentary behavior, and provide Thai people with direct experience and understanding of the health benefits of walking and running as an integrated wellness practice. The event inspires people of all ages, encourages new runners, promotes neighborhood running to strengthen community bonds, and prepares organizers with management and safety standards. It seeks to elevate running events with safe, standardized systems, enhance the capacity of partners and staff to understand event protocols, expand activities nationwide, and equip runners with accurate knowledge alongside internationally recognized standards for Safe, Fair, and Fun running events.
Dr. Pongtep Wongwatcharaipiboon, the manager of ThaiHealthFund, stated that the fund focuses on promoting physical activity to improve health, change behaviors for better wellbeing, and reduce the future risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Over the past 20 years (2004–2025), the incidence of NCDs in Thailand has risen, especially diabetes and hypertension, along with a rapid increase in overweight and obesity cases. Data from the 7th Thai National Health Examination Survey (2024–2025) showed that 10.6% of Thais aged 15 and over have diabetes (6.1 million people), 29.5% have hypertension (17.5 million), and 45% are overweight or obese (27.4 million). These trends hinder Thailand from meeting the World Health Organization’s 2025 targets to reduce diabetes to no more than 7.3%, hypertension to 17%, and obesity to 36.2% of the population.
ThaiHealthFund initiated and promotes proper exercise for health through the Thai Health Day Run 2026, now in its 13th year, as a foundation for cultivating new lifestyles that enhance strength in all dimensions. Regular physical activity significantly lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. Therefore, the campaign encourages people to start with basic activities like walking and running, which are accessible and suitable for all ages. Regular walking or running improves the function of internal organs, especially the blood vessels, heart, and pancreas, making blood vessels more flexible, improving circulation, enhancing heart efficiency, reducing pancreatic strain, and helping the body regulate blood sugar better. This leads to a reduced chance of diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease in the future,” Dr. Pongtep explained.
More than 3,000 runners participated in the event, which featured three distances: 10 km, 5 km, and a 3 km health walk. For more details, visit the Thai Health Day Run Facebook page.