Pursat River Run post 3

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.