Kevin was one of the hundreds participating in the 24 Hour Race in February last year, a student-led, day-long fundraiser for organisations working to prevent trafficking and support survivors. The rules were simple: for 24 hours, teams had to have at least one runner on the track.
“At first, I just saw it as a school event,” Kevin said. “But once I learned where the money was going, it felt like what we were doing mattered.”
With the 2026 Phuket race taking place later this month and early next (Feb 28 to Mar 1), 60 students across the island’s international schools have gathered to plan the event. The race will be one of dozens ran in 20 countries, ranging from the United States, India, Singapore and Bosnia.
More than 100,000 runners and 8,000 student leaders have participated since 2010, raising approximately US$2 million (B62mn) for organisations fighting human trafficking.
One such organisation is Sons & Daughters, which helps women leave Hong Kong’s red-light district through outreach and long-term aftercare.
One lady named Exodus, who encountered the organisation through its outreach team, chose to leave the commercial sex industry after learning about Sons & Daughters’ 12-month aftercare program, where she received counseling, case management and vocational training.
Drawing on the resilience and confidence she developed during the program, Exodus later founded a low-cost school for children unable to afford education. With seed funding facilitated through Sons & Daughters, the school has since grown to serve 136 students, as of June 2025.
Organisations like Sons & Daughters and The Freedom Story turn 24 Hour Race donations into support for hundreds of women attempting to escape the commercial sex industry. They have also helped more than 8,000 students – 89% of whom graduate high school – stay in the classroom.
For Nue, a university student from northern Thailand, that support proved critical after her father died from an overdose when she was fourteen. Earning only B250 a day, Nue’s mother relied on Nue’s support in caring for her three younger siblings, making Nue vulnerable when her aunt offered a job at a Bangkok massage parlour – work that risked exposing her to coercion, unsafe conditions and exploitation.
No longer able to afford the transportation, uniforms and fees required to stay in school, Nue applied for a scholarship from The Freedom Story. The scholarship enabled Nue to decline her aunt’s offer and continue her education, graduating high school and attending college. Beyond financial support, Nue meets weekly with a mentor who serves as both an advocate and a guide. Through counseling and conversation, her mentor encourages her to imagine a future beyond immediate survival.
The 24 Hour Race seeks not only to support young women like Exodus and Nue but raise awareness about the millions of victims still trapped in systems of human trafficking. The relay’s uninterrupted 24-hour format is a deliberate symbol to keep attention fixed on the fact that many trafficking victims cannot simply stop working.
“The race is not just about endurance,” said Kevin, “It’s about experiencing, even briefly, what it feels like to have no way out.” A symbolic reminder, he added, of the lack of choice victims face.
What distinguishes the 24 Hour Race is that students are responsible not only for running, but deciding where the money goes. Student organisers coordinate with partner organisations, manage fundraising targets and allocate funds toward prevention and education programs for at-risk youth.
“The reason the race matters to me personally is that it prioritises youth empowerment,” said Rhys Caygill, a former director of the 24 Hour Race in Phuket. “I developed skills while contributing to something that had a real impact.”
When the final horn sounded, Kevin sat on the edge of the track with his shoes off, rubbing his calves. Around him, the floodlights dimmed and the music cut out, leaving the track quiet for the first time in 24 hours. There was no confetti – only tired smiles, hugs, and the knowledge that the miles run would translate into support for students like Nue.
Kevin stood up, stretched and headed back to his team. The race was over, but the work it funded would continue long after the track emptied.
For more information please visit: https://www.24hourrace.org/races/phuket.