SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- A total of 10,154 professional and amateur runners from 78 countries and regions participated in the 28th Angkor Wat International Half Marathon on Sunday at the complex of the Angkor Archaeological Park in Cambodia.
Thong Khon, president of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), noted that the participants included 3,654 international runners.
The number of participants this year increased by 40 percent compared to the 2022 event, he said, highlighting that the countries with the highest participation rates were the United Kingdom, the United States, and France.
"I urge all participants to continue your support and participation in this half-marathon event, which is organized for humanitarian causes and in support of landmine victims," he said in a speech at the start of the race.
The event also featured a 10km race, a 5km run, and a 3km fun run.
According to the results announced by the NOCC, the men's 21km race winner was Canadian David Meloche, who recorded one hour, 18 minutes, and 38 seconds, and the women's 21km race was won by British Lyndsey Fraser, who finished in 1:24:55.
Located in Siem Reap province, the Angkor Archaeological Park, inscribed on the World Heritage List of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1992, is the most popular tourist destination in the Southeast Asian country.
The ancient park welcomed almost 700,000 foreign visitors in the first 11 months of 2023, generating 32.5 million U.S. dollars in revenue from ticket sales, according to the state-owned Angkor Enterprise. ■
