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Prizes and popularity
by Pip Miner, 2nd place, 10 km (Australian)
Why Pursat 2008? Was it the scenic running course? The friendly competition?
Supporting youth involvement in sport? Being part of encouraging people with
disabilities to participate? Yes to all! However, maybe the deeper reason I
came to Pursat was that there was 250 000 riel on offer for the first woman
home in the 10K!? This was my chance to chase prizes and popularity.
Let me explain; I
have never hoped to win a running event. I made my track debut
in third grade. Lining up for the Under 9's 100m heat, I sprung up at the
sound of the gun and sprinted as fast as my stunted legs would carry me,
finishing 7th out of 8. I quit running. Then in late 2007 a
friend convinced me to sign up for my first 10K in Siem Reap. We trained. We
ran. I became hooked.
With US$62.50 for
first place, I figured this Pursat race was worth some investment. I spent a
grand total of $38.50 over the weekend on registration, hotel room, bus
tickets for the 440k return journey, drinks and snacks.
My pre-race prep
was good. I relaxed in my hotel room. I tried to decide what to wear. As a
concession to the local culture, I dug out a more “modest” pair of little
shorts with at least an extra inch of fabric, matching them with a
sleeveless top and a fabulous sweatband. Ready to run, baby!
As we mingled at
the starting line, I noticed some of the experienced athletes warming up. I
tried a little pre-race jog but after a half a block I was sweating like
crazy so figured I was hot enough already. Running with some of the
Cambodian national runners was inspiring. (I could see them for at least
100m before we turned the first corner and they were gone.) I ran much of
the race alongside a young guy who was running his first 10K in a pair of
socks. What he lacked in proper footwear he made up for in a mate who rode
his motorbike alongside him the whole way offering bottled water and shouts
of encouragement! After finishing at the provincial stadium, I watched other
competitors cross the line, cheering them on for their final few steps. Some
had pushed themselves to their limit, collapsing into the mud at the end.
Their determination was awesome.
Returning home to
Poipet, several of my friends said they had seen me on the CTN broadcast.
The TV coverage was a clear boost to my popularity!
Coming back to the
250 000r prize? I was stoked with second. I bagged a trophy, winners
T-shirt, soft toy and the equivalent of US$50 cash. (It was a good thing
that I’d already sponsored one of the disabled athletes because I would have
felt awkward coming home with a profit of $11.50 from a fund-raising event!)
Aside from the
obvious prizes and popularity, the Pursat River Run is about participating.
For foreigner NGO-types, the Khmer athletes on race day aren’t recipients,
patients, clients, students or staff. We are all competitors. We will finish
ahead of some and many Khmer runners will kick our butts! Simply running the
race together was inspiring.
Pursat River
Run 2008 10 k Race report Roger Henke
This second edition of the Pursat race was bigger and
fancier and for the 10 k more scenic than last year’s race. Quite a
contingent of expats had made it to Pursat this year, due to a large
delegation of the
Phnom Penh Hash House Harriers who had decided to tag on a Saturday
hash, and a crowd from
Handicap International who are great supporters of any running event in
Cambodia, especially if it includes disabled runners or wheelies. But also
the Cambodian running elite was well represented with guest of honor,
Beijing marathoner
Hem Bunteng, and several others. I had my honor to defend (having
achieved second place in 2007: lack of competition) but with such known
Cambodian competition and unknown but young and fit-looking expat contenders
I knew that I was in for a fight.
My wife Marjan had joined me for the weekend and we
jogged together from the hotel to the stadium in the morning. I would
accompany her to the start of the 5 k and run along until we would pass by
the start of the 10 k. We left the stadium without too much delay, but
nevertheless managed to reach the start too late because of a road barrier
that the truck carrying the school kids couldn’t pass. As crisis management
is skill that Cambodians have developed to great heights the delay was quite
acceptable and even without delay – like last year – the sun was out already
anyway and half an hour earlier or later didn’t matter much.
The number of school kids on flip flops, socks or bare
feet was astonishing. The flip flops caused a mass tumble at the start but
luckily no great injuries. Local elite runner Sopheak, who had entered the 5
k this year ‘only to accompany his sister’ thought otherwise soon after the
start and beat his national team mate Dara to the finish. His sister didn’t
need big brother anyway: like in 2007 she came in number one without his
help.
I dropped out after about three k and joined the
runners of the 10 k waiting at the bridge crossing the river. It was pretty
evident that the heat would again be a major factor in how well runners
would perform. The first 5 k, at the other side of the river where still
partly shaded but the section that I had already run with Marjan was very
exposed and blistering hot. The first 5 k included about 3.5 k of dirt road,
which is a joy for one’s joints. Like last year the pack went off in
sprinting mode and when we had crossed the river there was quite a crowd in
front of me. Of the three national runners that participated in the 10 k the
two fastest ones, Sam On and Bunthoeun, were ahead of me immediately. I
didn’t care much about that because keeping up with them is way beyond my
capabilities, but when the eldest of the lot, Sovantha, passed by I decided
to try and keep him in sight. Chances were slim I would be able to keep up
but I knew that to the extent that I could, it would secure me a good
placing. As he slowly caught up with the young local runners still ahead of
us, I caught up with them too. Being passed by a foreigner usually gave them
new wind for a while, so I rarely ran alone, but lack of regular training
did show after a while and each in turn had to let me go. Now, this went
easy for the first 5 k, but became increasingly difficult in the second
half. This lot just didn’t want to give up. On top of that: I saw that
Sovantha did catch up of with nearly everyone but not all ahead of him.
Around k 7 I realized that Sovantha was moving away and any thought of
catching up went up in smoke. I concentrated on just keeping my pace but by
k 9 I felt like a machine grinding to a halt. I made it across the finish
line in sixth place, beating last year’s time – but given the chance of
itinerary, who knows what that means.
The ceremony offered plenty of vips the opportunity to
advertise their patronage; look Steve to show off his Khmer and point out
that the average age of the expat runners was sure proof of the possibility
to continue running after leaving school; Bunteng to motivate the kids with
his story that a combination of talent and discipline can turn anyone into
an Olympian; and it awarded plenty of prizes, shaming the Angkor half
marathon that offers nothing to the local runners.
Compared to last year? Much more competitive race, more
kids, disabled participants and more expats, nicer route, more prices. An
event on its way to become a fixed feature on the yearly calendar, and
important promotion of running in Cambodia.
