【Project Activities】

We invited two runners with disabilities—selected from among top performers at the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon—to participate in the Kasumigaura Marathon.

【Project Background】

As the “Arimori Award,” we invited the top two finishers of the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon to the Kasumigaura Marathon (Ibaraki), which has a sister-marathon relationship with Angkor Wat.

【Project Objective】

Promote social participation of people with disabilities.

【Project Area】

Disability Sport

【Methods】

Dispatching and hosting athletes

【Outcomes】

From 2006 to 2023, a cumulative total of 35 athletes were invited. For runners with disabilities who had never traveled abroad, being dispatched to Japan and taking part in a race became a major personal asset. After returning to Cambodia, many runners have continued to stay involved in sport.

【Voices from Participants and Partners】

“I never imagined I would be able to come to Japan, and I’m truly happy that I could participate in the Kasumigaura Marathon. I want to keep doing sports for my health.” (Prosthetic-leg runner, Chhit Im)

【Challenges and Lessons Learned】

For prosthetic-leg runners, it remains difficult in Cambodia to obtain prostheses that fit well, including sport-specific prostheses. Running long distances with a standard prosthesis can lead to injury, so this must be confirmed carefully when selecting athletes to dispatch.

【URL】

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/heDuamp8mketJ8Gw/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/91Q8hqtgexRy74X2/

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/UhE26iAwhfU3W8s4/