NOCC secretary-general Vath Chamroeun speaks at a press conference outlining details of the 7th Sihanoukville International Half Marathon on March 11.
The route for the 7th Angkor Beer Sihanoukville International Half Marathon on March 11 has been modified, with new parts of the city included for the first time.
The experience will include exotic coastline views to give the 2,000 or so expected runners for the showpiece 21km charity run and other added attractions a unique experience in the Kingdom’s most popular tourist destination after Angkor Wat.
One of the city’s most visited beaches, Ochheuteal, will once again be the starting and finishing point near the recently installed Beautiful Bay statue.
The participants this time will go through the centre of the town on the arterial Ek Reach Street, while sticking to the scenic beauty of the coastline the rest of the way.
Japan heads the list of up to 200 overseas entries registered so far among 28 nationalities, with the United States and United Kingdom figuring second and third in terms of competitive interest.
Enthusiasm among locals, especially the youth, has grown in recent years, and this sector of the population is likely to boost the numbers in events such as the 10km for men and women, along with the 3km fun run for all ages and athletic abilities.
“This redrawn course will be lot more enjoyable for the runners as they can also catch glimpses of city life along with what the beautiful beachline always offers,’’ secretary-general of the National Olympic Committee Vath Chamroeun told The Post
As has been the practice, the 21km runners face a 5:30am start, with the other events set to roll in intervals of 15 minutes thereafter.
The Sihanoukville run marks the first of the long distance charity events in the national calendar that includes the Phnom Penh International Half Marathon in June, the Angkor Empire Full Marathon in August and the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon in early December.
Jointly organised by the Ministry of Tourism, the NOCC and other government and private agencies and sponsors, the event will be managed by Cambodia Events Organizers and is sanctioned by the Association of International Marathons.
While Sihanoukville as a tourist hotspot continues to attract visitors in great numbers, the patronage for the half-marathon has been pegged at the same levels for the past couple of years, unlike the Phnom Penh and Siem Reap versions which have regularly shown increased participation from overseas runners.
The Angkor Wat Half Marathon recorded an all time high of 11,000 participants last December, highlighting its popularity and appeal among foreigners and locals in Cambodia’s long distance calendar
“The main reason [for the lack of increasing participation] is the non-availability of direct international flights to Sihanoukville, inevitably leading to additional costs and extra overland travel from either Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. The current domestic scheduling of flights is not convenient either,” Chamroeun pointed out.
The government is working with the private sector to establish better connectivity in the not-too-distant future.
The widening of the runway and upgrading the airport to handle international flights are also considered top priority.
