Cambodia marks 15th int'l half marathon at Angkor Wat

SIEM REAP, Cambodia (Kyodo) -- Cambodia marked the 15th international half marathon at the Angkor Wat temple complex with more participants than ever on Sunday.

The event began with only 654 runners from 14 countries in 1996, but this year 4,050 athletes from 53 countries took part.

The Angkor Wat International Half Marathon was introduced by Yuko Arimori, the first Japanese woman to win a marathon medal at the Olympics.

Arimori, 43, now a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Population Fund and a representative director of nongovernmental agency Hearts of Gold, won the silver medal at Barcelona in 1992 and bronze at Atlanta in 1996.

She has taken part every international half marathon in Cambodia to contribute to fund-raising for landmine victims and the poor.

Thong Khon, minister of tourism, said he was "happy and honored" to see the huge participation in the race, especially, at the world heritage site Angkor Wat.

"This year's international half marathon clearly demonstrates the full supports for Cambodia as well as for all runners in a way of strengthening solidarity, friendship and peace of all nations in the region and in the world and as well as for contributing to humanitarian actions to all victims by landmines," he said.

The 21 kilometer race for men was won by Cambodian Hen Bunting in 1 hour, 10 minutes and 11 seconds. American Evan Fox finished in 1:15:55 and Japanese comedian Hiroshi Neko to third in 1:16:0.

The 15th Angkor Wat International Half Marathon also included races from 3,000 to 10,000 meters.

(Mainichi Japan) December 5, 2010