Gap and Gop Pranom pictured at the Osaka marathon in Japan.

SISTERS Gap and Gop Pranom were inspired to start running when dangerous cells were found in Gop’s body. The shock of Gop having to have a biopsy made the girls wake up and realise they should be doing something more active with their lives. They chose to run.

Today Gop is clear of any disease but the ladies continue to run to keep fit and are always planning for their next marathon. They well and truly caught the running bug and have even inspired friends and family to start out in the sport.

Here we talk to the sisters about their running journey and the highlights from it to date. Read on to find out about their running ambitions for the future and what it’s like sharing a passion for a competitive sport with your twin sister. 

Gop was the first of the sisters to answer our questions:

Tell us about what motivated you to start running?

Two years ago cells were found in me which could lead to cervical cancer, so I got a biopsy. After that I started to run to stay healthy and my sister has become my running partner. I am now all clear of the disease.

Gap and Gop pictured with friends after completing their first marathon in their home city of Khonkaen.

Had you always been a good runner?

I was a couch potato before. I hated exercise, I didn’t like running but after I had health problems I started exercising more. Running is easier to do even if you don’t think you’re good at any sports.

It’s inexpensive and you don’t need any equipment – you can do it anywhere with your running shoes.

What was your first race and how hard did you train for it?

It was a 5k race in my city and I didn’t train much for it. But I liked its atmosphere and felt good after I’d run the race.
So I trained for my next race which was the Angkor Wat Half Marathon 2015 and I entered my first 10k.

How have you progressed since then? Where has the sport taken you and what have been some of the highlights?

2016 was a big year for 10k races – I felt strong and for me had the perfect year. I competed in my first marathon a year after I started running. I was so proud when I finished that marathon in January 2017. I trained step by step beforehand and the whole journey of that was the highlight.

And I’ve just finished my second marathon in Osaka, Japan. I got a new best time for the run so was over the moon with that. I was so proud and have proved to myself that I wasn’t the person I used to be.

How much training did you do for that first marathon and what was the toll like on your body?

I Googled a training plan on the internet and didn’t push myself too hard but certainly trained enough. I try not to sleep too late and get up early. I like running in the morning and run four times a week. Two days I do cross-training and then I have a day of rest. I do yoga every day which is important for runners as it helps us recover faster.

I was worried about my first marathon and actually when I got to the 35km mark I thought I wouldn’t make it. I was thinking I was either going to have to stop or keep running to the end. I chose to run and made it to the finish line which was an unbelievable feeling.

Gop pictured running the Osaka marathon in Japan. 

What’s it like experiencing your whole running journey with your sister?

Gap is my running buddy. We ran our first marathon together and encourage and support each other along the way.

What has running changed the most about you?

I’m now a morning person! I like to take care of my health and eat good food. I’ve also made some really good new friends from the running events we’ve attended. We are interested in the same thing and can share ideas about the sport.

I have also inspired some people around me to become runners and they have gone on to inspire others. It’s good how the sport spreads like that. My mum has even become a runner too!

I also learned that no one succeeds in marathon running without lots of training. You set a goal and then work to reach it. Sometimes you learn from a loss. You can face many problems during a run until you reach the finish line. I have learned many things from running that I now apply to my life and work. When you want anything in life you have to work hard to succeed.

How hard are you currently training and which races will you compete in next?

My next marathon will be Khonkaen Marathon in Thailand in 2018. It’s my home city and that’s where I finished my first marathon last year.

Read the interview with Gap below:

What made you take up running and enter your first competitive race?

Two years ago cells were found in my sister which could lead to cervical cancer so she got a biopsy. She then started running to stay healthy and I became her running buddy. We chose running because it’s easy to do if you’re not good at other sports. 

She is now clear of disease but we continue to run because we enjoy it and want to stay fit. Sometimes it’s hard to drag yourself out of bed to run so we combine the sport with our favourite activity, travelling. 

Our first race was in December 2015 when we joined the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Since then we have travelled around Thailand to compete and have also been to Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, France, Germany and Japan to run.

Gap pictured right with her running buddy Gop.

Were you a sporty person before you started running?

I was a kind of lazy person to be honest. I’d tried many things to improve my lifestyle including dancing, swimming, the gym and Muay Thai. I never really stuck with any of those until my sister got sick and we started running. Now we’ve been running for over two years and we haven’t got tired of it because we are always setting ourselves goals. We also like to swim to keep fit and do yoga too.

It’s changed me and made me become a better person; not only in a physical sense but also in my confidence and how I think.

What’s been your biggest running success so far?

That’s easy; it’s always when I beat my PB.

What’s the best part of the travel involved with your running?

It’s having fun with friends and when you’re travelling to run you also make new friends. 

Gap (centre right) pictured with sister Gop (centre left) and two friends after the River Kwai International Half Marathon, Kanchanaburi.

What’s it like sharing the whole experience with your sister?

It’s great because we are never alone during our times running and we can also share expenses when we travel! She can annoy me at times, of course, but that’s all part of it! She won’t take the lead when it comes to chores and often follows me. I guess it’s normal, I’ve always taken the role of the big sister!

She takes too long getting ready for a race sometimes and it also annoys me when she runs faster than me! I normally let her run first as she has a habit of pushing me along to run with her when she can.

Having beers before or after a run is always great too!

Oh and when we’re at home we like to make voices up for our cat and imagine she’s speaking… not running related but hopefully that gives you an idea of the fun we share between ourselves!

How hard are you currently training and which race will you compete in next?

I’m competing in the Khon Kaen International on January 28. For that I’m currently going through a 16-week training regime which is as follows: Sunday, a long run and 45 mins yoga; Monday, 30-minute leg workouts and 45 mins yoga; Tuesday, a 6.5k run and 45 mins yoga; Wednesday, a 6.5k run and 45 mins yoga; Thursday, 60 mins cross training (swimming), 45 mins yoga and 30 mins of leg workouts; Friday, an 8k run and 45 mins of yoga; and Saturday, 45 mins of yoga.