Pursat River Run (race report)

I like surfing and I’m crazy about snowboarding. Unfortunately, neither of these sports are booming in Cambodia… so it’s a good thing we’ve got the annual Pursat River Run! This year was my second year to run Pursat and I learned a few lessons.

Lesson # 1: It’s not about time. It’s about having a good time.

The pre-race information noted that the routes were not exactly 5km or 10km. (Both were slightly longer because of the need to locate the starting lines in places where people can congregate on narrow roads.) Pursat might not be the place to record a new personal best time if you’re trying for a 5K PB over a 5.25km course. However, it’s a great race to enjoy running with local Cambodians. Runners turned out from thirteen high schools across the province, the police and military police, non-government organizations as well as members of the public. Of the 495 runners, there was a sprinkling of expatriates, but the majority of runners were locals. Running with a bunch of locals is what makes this race great!

Lesson #2: It’s not about fashion. It’s about finishing in style.

Just before the start of the 10K, there was a huge downpour, cooling the air and giving runners an excuse to look a little messy after only a few kilometers. (Me? Sweaty? Nah.. it’s the rain!) I was quite comfortable but I wondered about the teenagers who ran the full 10 in soaked jeans and a cotton T-shirt? They were still smiling at the end so I guess they were ok! I noticed a range of footwear at Pursat 2009 too. Many ran barefoot. Same ran in socks. One young guy clicked down the street in his football boots. Ultimately, it wasn’t as much about fashion as finishing in style. Srey Mao, a 12-year-old student from Battambang, embodied this. She ran a well-paced 5K, striding out 300m before the finish line and taking first place in the women’s event. All this in shorts, a T-shirt and a pair of socks! It wasn’t about fashion, but Srey Mao was all style.

Lesson #3: It’s not about placing. It’s about racing.

At the starting line, I couldn’t help but notice there were kids preparing to run who were about half my height and a third of my age! I wasn’t sure whether to feel pity or fear (or both). After some jostling at the start, runners settled down andbegan to run their own race. At the finish line, Mok Bonthoeun finished the 10K a comfortable 2 minutes ahead of his nearest rival, Kieng Samon, and Emily Woodfield defended her women’s 10K title. Cheng Chandara claimed the men’s 5K and Yeut Srey Mao won the women’s 5K. For the kids who pinned a race bib to their chest for the first time, I hope they will race again and discover that placing isn’t everything. Rather, it’s about setting a goal, running at it and celebrating finishing the race.

Afterwards, I spoke with some of the other runners and race officials. Some high school students were thrilled with the prize money they received for minor placings and said they would use the money for their studies. One runner said she was motivated to enter the race because she is training to be a school sports teacher and doesn’t simply want to teach the theory but wants to be a role model for young people. The race officials I spoke with loved being a part of it too. They said they have no plans to run if there’s another race next year but would consider participating if there was a Pursat River Ping Pong Competition?!

I can’t say that in Pursat 2010 there will be surf, snow or ping pong…. but I do hope there will be running!