The Course: A New Loop Along the River and Over the Islands
All four races start and finish in the park in front of Wat Botum, near the Royal Palace [1][2]. For 2026 the organisers redesigned the 21 km course. It no longer crosses the busy Chroy Changvar Bridge as in previous years; instead it heads along the riverside past the Royal Palace and central landmarks, then runs through Koh Pich and Koh Norea before looping back to the finish [3].
The organisers say the course was measured and certified to international standards [2], and the organiser's race page says its international races are certified by AIMS [4]. No route map was published on the registration page, so if you want to know where the turns are, ask the organiser before race day.
Aid Stations and Cut-offs
There was a water station every 2 km, with bananas and energy drinks at the finish [5]. The organiser's race page says water, bananas and energy drinks are provided along the course too, and that first aiders stand by along the route [4]. One runner said the water stations and medical support were excellent [6].
Runners found it hot, and some regulars asked for more. Two of them told Cambodianess that they ran under hot temperatures and needed cold water along the way, and called for cold sprays, muscle-relief products and emergency medical help to be easy to reach [7]. The 21 km started at 5.30am on the registration page [5], though a Khmer-language preview of the race gave 5.10am [8]. Chea Veasna, a regular 21 km runner, noted that long-distance runners face increasingly hot temperatures after sunrise [7].
The limits are generous: four hours for the 21 km, two hours for the 10 km, one hour for the 5 km and 30 minutes for the 2.5 km fun run [5]. Every one of the 1,329 timed 21 km finishers came in under four hours; the slowest was 3:53:04 [9]. The results point to the 10 km limit not being applied strictly: 145 of its 1,818 timed finishers took longer than two hours [9].
The Roads: Traffic on the Course
The roads are not fully closed. The organiser says local authorities manage the roadways and intersections, but warns that runners will likely encounter some traffic [4]. Runners confirmed it. Veasna said traffic management on race day has barely improved since 2021, and that sharing the road with vehicles raises the risk of accidents and breaks runners' pace [7]. Another regular, Sorn Sreyleap, said being forced to slow down and speed up again because of traffic can bring on cramps [7]. Khmer Times also reported complaints about traffic management along parts of the route [10], and one runner who rated the race one star on World's Marathons wrote of running among walking people and motorbikes [6].
Run as if the road is open, and expect to check your pace where the course meets traffic.
What Went Wrong: No Medals at the Finish
Thousands of runners finished the 2026 race expecting a medal and left without one [7]. The National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), which organises the race, said in a statement the next morning that stricter border controls had held up the shipment by more than a month [11][10]. Many runners accepted the apology, but others asked why they had not been told before race day [10].
In a statement on 8 July, the NOCC said runners in Phnom Penh could collect their medals at its headquarters, and those in the provinces or abroad would be sent theirs by bus express or Cambodia Post [12]. One runner who had first marked the race down for the missing medal received it about two months late and called it a really nice medal [6]. Another, who liked the start and route, said the organisers, who have run the event many times, should have been on the case [6].
Finding Your Way
One runner, in their first half marathon, took a wrong turn on a bridge partway round, said other runners also seemed to have followed the route for a different distance, and wished there had been signs or staff directing each distance [6]. Before the start, find out where your route leaves those of the other distances.
How Fast the Field Is
Vann Pheara won the 21 km in 1:14:13, ahead of Takizaki Kuniaki in 1:15:57 and Ouk Rohit in 1:17:20. Kan Sreyroth won the women's race in 1:27:44, 12th overall, more than ten minutes clear of Ota Natsuko in 1:37:49 and Muyngim E. Sheruns in 1:41:26 [9].
Behind the winners the field thins fast. Tenth place was 1:27:11 for men and 1:54:49 for women, and the median 21 km finish was 2:26:20; 281 runners broke two hours and 224 took more than three [9]. The 10 km was won in 32:31 by Terence Lai and in 41:06 by Thideouk Thach, and tenth place was 44:20 for men and 51:35 for women [9]. The top three in each category get a medal or trophy [5]; the registration page lists no prize money.
This is a race for all abilities. Of 5,241 entrants, 4,561 were Cambodian, and the largest groups from abroad came from China, Japan, France, the Philippines and the United States [1].
Race Weekend Logistics
Race packs were collected from a booth in Botum Vattey park on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 June, 9am to 6pm, and there was no collection on race day. Someone else can collect for you with a signed letter of authorisation and copies of your confirmation and passport photo. Runners were asked to be at the start 30 minutes before their race [5]. Two regulars asked that future collection venues keep people out of long queues in direct sunlight [7].
In 2026 the 21 km cost foreign runners US$45 in the super early bird week, US$55 from late November and US$65 from 20 March; Cambodians paid US$28, US$32 and US$36. Entries cannot be refunded, transferred to another runner or carried over to the next year, and changing distance costs a US$20 fee plus any difference in price. Timing chips are used for the 21 km and 10 km only, and only 21 km finishers get a finisher tee [5].
Should You Enter the 2027 Race?
Yes, if you want a certified half marathon in the centre of Phnom Penh, with a four-hour limit that suits walkers and first-timers, water every 2 km and a field of thousands to run with. The 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km make it a family event too.
Think twice if you want closed roads, a slick race-day operation or a medal handed to you at the line. The 2026 race had all three problems in its reviews, and runners interviewed after it said the same traffic concerns had come up in earlier years [7].
The 2027 race is listed for 13 June 2027 [6], and the NOCC president invited runners back in June [1]. The 2027 course, start times and fees had not been published when this was written.
Nobody from this site ran the race. This review draws on the organiser's race information and results, local reporting in English and Khmer, and runners' reviews.