TRAIL RUNNING
Cooking in
Cambodia
Running the Khmer Empire Marathon in Cambodia was an unforgettable experience , but also a very hot and humid experience ! – BY KEVIN ACKERBERG
It was 4am and still dark on Sunday 5th August , but already the temperature was 26 degrees as I stood on the starting line of the Khmer Marathon in front of the Angkor Wat Temple in Siem Reap . As I waited for the formalities to be over , it occurred to me that I was about to embark on a 42.2km run around a World Heritage Site – Angkor Wat was built in the 12 th century and is the largest religious monument in the world . It is an impressive sight due to its size and detail .
Interest in the run was sparked when my wife Erica read an article on Cambodia in the travel section of the Sunday Times . When I saw they had a marathon around the same time as our proposed trip , it seemed the perfect opportunity to combine a holiday with a run . I had only started road running two years ago , at the age of 55 , because my work involves lots of travelling , and running was the easiest way to keep fit , as all that ’ s required is a pair of running shoes .
My first marathon was the 2017 Nelson Mandela Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal . I was warned that this was not the best marathon for a novice , but I managed to finish in 4:52:44 . Choosing the Cambodian marathon as my next one was probably not the wisest choice either , but what ’ s life without a challenge ? However , my preparation had not gone according to plan . I work out of Accra , Ghana , and running on the road during the week is impossible because of traffic and the lack of pavements . I therefore did most of my training on a treadmill , and according to my training schedule , I was 200km short , so was not at the level I should have been …
Getting Around
Entry to the marathon was a simple online process with a cost of $ 60 , and our travel arrangements were organised by Dave Papenfus of Cambodia and Beyond . We flew via Hong Kong and landed in Phnom Penh , the capital of Cambodia , then spent three days exploring the city and markets , as well as visiting the infamous Killing Fields – a sombre memorial to those that were murdered by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge .
On the Saturday morning , we flew to Siem Reap , then hopped on a tuk-tuk to register and collect my race pack . Cambodia has two seasons , rainy and dry , and August is in the middle of the rainy season , so the driver was keen to drive us around on race day , as business is slower during these months . He agreed to meet me the next morning at 3:40am to take me to the start , then fetched Erica a bit later to bring her to the race , and waited until after the race to take us back to the hotel . What an experience to be delivered to the start on a tuk-tuk !
Race Day Dawns
Before the start , there was quite a bit of activity , with stalls being set up , music playing and runners going through their warm-up routines . The field was small , with slightly more than 400 athletes attempting the marathon , but there were many more doing the more popular distances of 3km , 10km or 21.1km . In total , 42 countries were represented .
The route took us into town , then out into the rural areas and returned to Angkor Wat . The course was flat and the running surface mainly tar , and the scenery was interesting and beautiful . Because of the small number of marathoners , at times I was running on my own , but water points were arranged every 2.5km and were well managed , offering water or juice . The last few kilometres took us via the entrance area of the temple , with many tourists looking on . At one stage , there were elephants watching us on the side of the road .
The first half went reasonably well and I got to the
21km mark in 2 hours and 15 minutes , but the second half was a bigger challenge . By then the temperature was 32 degrees , but the intense humidity made it seem much hotter , so I started focusing on running from one water point to the next . I took two 500ml bottles of water at each station , mostly to drink , but also to pour over myself to cool down . Fortunately , the water was ice cold and each mouthful was a relief . Eventually , I made it over the finish line in 5:16:21 – disappointing , as it was 17 minutes over my goal – but I was rewarded with a massage of my tired legs at the finish .
Back in town , I enjoyed an ice-cold 50c ( US ) draft beer in Pub Street , and from there we went on to enjoy the sights of Siem Reap and then relaxed for a few days on the beautiful island of Koh Rong Sanloem . Cambodia is a fascinating country with extremely friendly people and delicious food . The trip was a great experience and the marathon will always be a highlight in my running career .
For more info , go to www . cambodiaandbeyond . com .
Images : Courtesy Kevin Ackerberg & David Papenfus
28 ISSUE 111 OCTOBER 2018 / www . modernathlete . co . za