Over 2,000 runners have already signed up to participate in this year’s Phnom Penh International Half Marathon, officials from the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, who are hosting the event, told the Post on Monday.

Registered athletes for the Sunday June 16 street race also currently included 300 foreign athletes from 21 nations, will a deadline for new entries set for this Sunday. Registration can be made at the NOCC headquarters (No 1, Street 278) or at eight other locations which can be found on the runningincambodia.org website.

NOCC Secretary General Vath Chamroeun said participation has increased on last year in each of the three distance categories for men and women – half marathon (21km), 10km, and 3km fun run – whilst adding that they will allow a maximum field of 5,000.

Vath Chamroeun describes the competition, now in its third year, as the Kingdom’s second biggest athletics event after the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon, held in Siem Reap since 1996.

The event will also help Cambodia mark the Queen Mother’s Birthday (June 18) and World Environment Day (June 5), as well as serving as an Olympic Day Run to celebrate Olympic Day (June 23).

The NOCC intend to donate some of the proceeds to Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital in Phnom Penh and local anti-landmine organisation CMAC.

According to Vath Chamroeun, the half marathon race is for male and female professional runners or keen fitness enthusiasts, while the 10km run is for those that wish to test themselves.

The 3km dash is for youngsters and parents running with their children and anyone who just wants to have fun.

“Besides ordinary runners, there are some singers, musicians and comedians that have registered for this event, but they are entered in the third category [93km] for fun, added the NOCC official” 

Translated by Cheng Seryrith, additional reporting by Dan Riley