“This is my fourth time to joined the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon and it’s the best running event I’ve joined so far here in Asia. I hope there’s something like this in Manila”, an American-French lady based in Manila remarked when we asked her how’s the run in Angkor Wat. “I’m pretty sure you will enjoy it” she quipped.
And this was exactly what we’ve experienced when we joined the 20th edition of Angkor Wat International Half Marathon.
The route takes runners through a tour of the breath-taking sights of the majestic temples around Angkor temple complex – a World Heritage site and the largest religious monument in the world – located in the stunning town of Siem Reap in Cambodia. Siem Reap is just a short 2 hours and 45 minutes direct flight away from the Philippines.
Two days before the scheduled run, we collected our race kits from the small race expo located in Ansapar Resort Hotel and Conference. The timing chip (called championchip) was registered and the information were verified. We also visited Angkor Wat the day before the run to witness the sunrise and visit some temples. This alone makes our trip and the run worth every single cent. The sights are refreshing and breath-taking.
We stayed at the Central Boutique Angkor Hotel which is perfectly located, just a few minutes walk away from the famous Old Night Market and Pub Street, and only 15 minutes Tuk Tuk away from the starting line of the race.
For this year, the 20th Angkor Wat International Half Marathon attracted 8,493 runners the biggest ever field. For the 21K category, we have seen more foreigners who joined than locals. The 21K has also the biggest numbers of runners – 3,208 runners in all. No other than Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An pulled the trigger of a shot gun to signal the start of the half marathon.
The route was one of the most beautiful we have ever run on. It was mainly flat, with gently sloping downhill course. The scenery was simply stunning and took us though several of the temples lined with trees which meant runners enjoyed the shade most of the time.
Water was served every 2 kilometers and several kilometers before the finish line, energy drinks were also given. The yellowish energy drink, which we though was beer, was refreshing and it tastes good too!
Everything was extremely well-organised. We were surprise to see a clean, well-lighted temporary portalet with bidet!
Our experience is simply amazing. Not only did we complete and enjoy the race, but we got to run among some of the most amazing temple ruins in the world. We highly recommend this race to anybody. The American-French lady expat we’ve met earlier was 100% right. We don’t think there can be another half marathon route as beautiful as this one, at least in South East Asia.
Please visit some action photos we’ve taken on https://www.facebook.com/activepinas
