04/08/2026
Yunnan's Hundred-Member Delegation Achieves Outstanding Results at the Angkor Empire Marathon，Yunnan and Cambodia Meet Through the Race, Writing a New Chapter in Lancang-Mekong Cooperation
As the first rays of dawn crossed the five towers of Angkor Wat, the “Khmer smile” carved into thousand-year-old stone gradually awakened, heralding a running appointment that spanned mountains and seas. On the morning of August 2, the 2026 Angkor Empire Marathon in Cambodia set off in Siem Reap, as more than 6,700 runners from around the world gathered to run a course weaving through ancient temple towers and tropical rainforest, paying tribute to a thousand years of Khmer civilization through running and measuring the confluence of history and the present with their footsteps. The event was not only a sporting competition, but also a vivid microcosm of people-to-people bonds and mutual learning between civilizations within the Lancang-Mekong subregion.
As an important measure for Yunnan to actively serve and integrate into the joint Belt and Road Initiative and deepen cooperation within the Lancang-Mekong subregion, the Yunnan Provincial Sports Bureau organized a hundred-member running delegation for this event. When the delegation arrived in Siem Reap, Siem Reap Angkor International Airport and the Cambodian side held a dedicated welcome ceremony, warmly receiving the Yunnan runners. This high-standard reception reflected both the genuine hospitality of the Khmer people and the long-standing friendship, mutual trust, and close cooperation between Yunnan and Cambodia, fully demonstrating the deep foundation the two sides have built within the Lancang-Mekong cooperation framework.
Wang Wenbin, Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia, attended the event in person and, together with officials from Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Sports, and other relevant authorities, fired the starting gun for the race.
As the crisp report of the starting gun broke the morning calm, more than 6,700 runners set off with enthusiasm, cheered on by spectators lining the course. Ambassador Wang applauded and cheered for the runners at the starting line. After the race, Ambassador Wang presented awards to the winners and took a group photo with the team from the Yunnan Sports External Exchange Service Center. He spoke highly of the Yunnan team's preparatory and organizational work, and stated that the Embassy would fully support sports exchanges between Yunnan and Cambodia, continuing to carry forward the profound friendship the two sides have built through sports cooperation.
I. Yunnan Athletes Compete Bravely, Delivering a Stream of Good News on the Track
In this high-level international event, the Yunnan delegation performed exceptionally well, achieving one success after another, with numerous highlights:
Yang Cheng, showcasing outstanding form, won the women's half marathon championship.
All other members of the delegation also completed the race successfully, demonstrating a tenacious sporting spirit and solid competitive skill. After the race, in an interview, Liu Haiping and Yang Cheng said: “Running on the thousand-year-old Angkor course was an extremely moving experience, one we will remember fondly, and we look forward to more opportunities to take part in events like this.” They also extended their heartfelt wishes for the China-Cambodia friendship to grow ever stronger and be passed down through the generations.
II. Deepening Yunnan-Cambodia Sports Cooperation, Building a Twin-City Running Exchange Mechanism
According to reports, the deployment of this hundred-member running delegation marks another successful practice of the “Dali Lancang-Mekong Marathon – Angkor Empire Marathon” twin-city running exchange mechanism, which has developed into a model of annual, two-way engagement and regular official exchange and cooperation — a core pillar of Yunnan's efforts to deepen Lancang-Mekong subregional cooperation through its sports resources.
During the event, Ambassador Wang Wenbin held in-depth discussions with the Yunnan sports delegation on further deepening Yunnan-Cambodia sports cooperation. Ambassador Wang gained a thorough understanding of the sports exchanges between Yunnan and Cambodia in recent years and commended Yunnan's approach of using sports as a bridge to deepen cooperation in the Lancang-Mekong subregion. He also proposed initiatives to deepen two-way exchanges, expressing hope that both sides would regularly invite one another to participate in and host competitions, and that Cambodia would send coaches and athletes to Yunnan for training camps and competitions, opening up two-way channels for talent exchange and shared sporting events.
The significance of this cross-border marathon extends far beyond athletic competition itself. As a mass sporting event with a lower threshold, broader public participation, and a warmer emotional connection, the marathon has forged a new path for people-to-people diplomacy along the Lancang-Mekong. Running across borders enables ordinary people to meet face to face and connect heart to heart, making sport a solid bond that links the hearts of the people of Yunnan and Cambodia and brings the two places closer together.
From the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake to the Khmer smile, this twin-city sporting journey has seen a hundred Yunnan runners measure a thousand years of civilization with their footsteps. A cross-border marathon has broken down geographical barriers, using sport to bring people together and running to connect hearts, consolidating the foundation for all-round friendly cooperation between Yunnan and Cambodia. Going forward, Yunnan will continue to make good use of the twin-city running exchange platform to expand the breadth and depth of Lancang-Mekong sports exchange in all respects. Taking the surging enthusiasm for nationwide fitness and the excellence of professional sporting events as a powerful vehicle, Yunnan will continue to deepen China-Cambodia people-to-people exchange, injecting a steady and powerful driving force into the Belt and Road Initiative's goal of people-to-people connectivity and the mutually beneficial development of the Lancang-Mekong region. Yunnan will firmly seize the opportunity of building itself into China's radiating center facing South and Southeast Asia, make full use of sport's unique advantage as a universal language, and spare no effort to burnish its three brands — “a plateau training paradise, an outdoor sports wonderland, and a year-round sporting playground” — actively expanding Yunnan's circle of sporting friends, so that the world may hear China's voice and Yunnan's story.
