The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia and Japanese charity organisation Cambodia Dream signed a Memorandum of Understanding yesterday at the NOCC headquarters on the co-hosting of next year’s Phnom Penh International Half Marathon. The inaugural race held on June 16 this year race saw 2,000 runners compete over the 21km course in celebration of both the queen mother’s birthday (June 18) and Olympic Day (June 23). Numbers for the 2012 edition are expected to increase and a new start point in front of the Royal Palace has been discussed. Cambodia Dream will construct a website and organise an event in Japan to help find sponsorship and attract foreign participants. A day prior to the run, Japanese wrestlers will meet Cambodian counterparts in a show in Phnom Penh, while prominent Japanese female football players will play in a friendly fundraiser match. Registrations for the run slated for mid-June will be taken from next month with a fee of US$5 for Cambodians and $20-$60 for foreigners.