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Angkor Wat Half Marathon 2026: taking part in the race
Entry, the course, bib collection and getting to Angkor: plan race day from Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, another province or abroad.
The Angkor Wat International Half Marathon is scheduled for Sunday 6 December 2026. The event offers several distances on the roads of Angkor Archaeological Park and supports causes including assistance for people affected by landmines. Taking part starts with choosing your race, entering and arranging to collect your bib. Everything else depends on where you are starting from, whether you live in Siem Reap, are coming from Phnom Penh or another province, or are travelling from abroad.
Choose your distance and enter
The organiser’s 2026 page gives a registration deadline of 23 October. Other distances are offered alongside the half marathon. Check the conditions for your category, including age limits and participation requirements, before entering.
The organiser directs Cambodian and expatriate runners to Checkpoint Spot, and overseas runners to World’s Marathons. Living in Cambodia does not automatically qualify you for Cambodian entry fees: Checkpoint Spot lists separate pricing categories. Check your category, the final amount and cancellation terms before paying.
Check the event name too: the Angkor Empire Marathon is a different race.
Where does the 21 km course go?
The official 2026 course map shows a start in front of Angkor Wat, a southern out-and-back, then an eastern loop towards the Kravan, Banteay Kdei and Srah Srang areas, Ta Prohm and Ta Keo. It enters Angkor Thom through the Victory Gate and returns towards Angkor Wat via the Bayon area and South Gate.
The race follows park roads; the map does not show a route through temple interiors. The course may change, so check the map again with the final race instructions.
View the map full size · Source: official 2026 course map.
Collect your bib before Sunday
Checkpoint Spot lists race-pack collection in Siem Reap from 3 to 5 December, with no collection on race day. The venue still needs confirmation; save the final address and opening hours once they are announced.
Have your entry confirmation and identification ready. If someone will collect for you, check the organiser’s requirements for authorisation and supporting documents beforehand.
If you live in Siem Reap, make time for collection during your week rather than leaving it until Saturday evening. If you are coming from another city, the collection deadline should shape your outward journey.
How much travel do you need to plan?
From Phnom Penh or another province, start with your actual constraints: when you can leave, when your transport arrives and how long you need to reach race-pack collection. Arriving on Friday gives you a buffer. A Saturday arrival needs to leave enough time to collect your kit, including a reasonable allowance for delays. Arriving on Sunday morning does not allow you to collect it.
Plan the journey home as well. If you leave on Sunday, allow time after the race to collect your belongings, change and reach your transport. If you are returning by car, consider fatigue when deciding who will drive. An extra night may help, depending on your race and journey; choose the length of stay that works for you.
If you live in Siem Reap, the journey to arrange is between home and the start area. If you are coming from abroad, confirm your race entry before booking travel and leave a buffer for bib collection. In either case, check the final instructions for access to Angkor.
Arrange the journey to Angkor and back
Set your departure from home, your accommodation or a relative’s house using the reporting time for your race. Published start information currently differs between platforms; use the final instructions to settle the timing.
Whether you use your own vehicle, arrange a driver or travel with other runners, check permitted access, drop-off points and parking arrangements. A familiar route may need a different plan on race day.
For friends or family coming to support a runner, the practical questions are where they can wait, how they can get there and where to meet after the finish. Check spectator instructions and agree on a meeting point everyone can reach. Do not assume a runner’s bib gives accompanying people the same access.
Staying overnight, if you need to
For one or more nights in Siem Reap, choose somewhere you can eat simply, sleep early and arrange the morning departure. The same applies if you stay with friends or relatives. At a hotel, ask about breakfast, luggage storage and checkout arrangements if you are leaving on Sunday.
Our neighbourhood guide can help with accommodation. The Siem Reap map is also useful for finding somewhere to meet friends or eat after the race, however long you are in town.
If you would like to visit Angkor, plan that outing separately from the race. The organiser says the course-inspection pass does not admit runners inside the temples. Check the admission conditions that apply to you with Angkor Enterprise, including the arrangements for anyone accompanying you.
Information checked on 9 October 2026. Recheck the collection venue, start times and access arrangements in the organiser’s final instructions.
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