Hem Bunting
Encyclopedia
Hem Bunting, born December 12, 1985, is a Cambodia
n marathon
er.
Bunting is one of nine children from a family of farmers in Stung Treng Province
. The British Broadcasting Corporation has described him as "so poor he lives in the crumbling athletics stadium where he trains". He won a silver medal in the marathon and a bronze at the 5,000 metre race at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
. He represented Cambodia
in the marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing
, finishing 73rd in a time of 2:33:32.
Bunting had few facilities and little funding to prepare for the Olympics. He trained by running laps on a track simultaneously used by casual joggers, and could not afford to buy running shoes. His best time in the marathon is 2:26:28. The BBC's article on him moved one reader to send him new training shoes prior to the Beijing Olympics.
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
er.
Bunting is one of nine children from a family of farmers in Stung Treng Province
Stung Treng Province
Stung Treng is a northern province of Cambodia.-Description:The Cambodia/Lao border is located in the north of Stung Treng Province. The Mekong river crosses the province roughly in its midst.-History of stung treng:...
. The British Broadcasting Corporation has described him as "so poor he lives in the crumbling athletics stadium where he trains". He won a silver medal in the marathon and a bronze at the 5,000 metre race at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games
2007 Southeast Asian Games
The 24th Southeast Asian Games was held in Nakhon Ratchasima , Thailand from December 6 to December 15, 2007....
. He represented Cambodia
Cambodia at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Cambodia competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24, 2008. The country sent a total of four competitors to the Games. - Athletics:- Swimming:...
in the marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, finishing 73rd in a time of 2:33:32.
Bunting had few facilities and little funding to prepare for the Olympics. He trained by running laps on a track simultaneously used by casual joggers, and could not afford to buy running shoes. His best time in the marathon is 2:26:28. The BBC's article on him moved one reader to send him new training shoes prior to the Beijing Olympics.