Two Cambodian long distance runners, Chheng Piseth and To Rithya, placed third and

fourth respectively in the Vientainne International Half Marathon. The 21.095 km

race held on Feb 8 included around 1,000 participants from more than 10 countries.

Piseth is due to embark on a 6-month scholarship in Tsukuba, Japan, a base which

will allow him to compete in the Asian Track and Field Championships in Japan in

July 1998.

Rithya competed in the Atlanta Olympics, two SEA Games, and the 1994 Asian Games.

He is the national marathon record holder, having completed a full marathon in Chiang

Mai in 1995 with a time of 2:34:43.