Cambodia to Hold First Valentine’s Day Bike Race

Cambodia to Hold First Valentine’s Day Bike Race

A cycling competition to mark the Valentine’s Day will be held in Cambodia this month.

The Valentine’s Bike Race, as the event is officially called, will be held at Sihanoukville on Feb 14, according to an announcement from the Cambodia Events Organizer.

The event is a joint undertaking of the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia (NOCC), Cambodian Cycling Federation and Cambodia Events Organizer.

“On 14 February 2021, The Cycling Committee would like to organise a bike race to celebrate the Valentine’s Day at Ocheuteal Beach, Sihanoukville province,” the announcement read.

“The Cycling Committee would like to invite all bikers, including elites, families and couples to participate in this meaningful event to have an unforgettable sweet memory of love and to experience the amazing beauty of nature, especially the course along the pristine beach,” it added.

Ocheuteal Beach is among the most popular beaches in Sihanoukville. It was previously known as UNTAC Beach.

There are three categories for the race: 40km, 25km and 15km. Registration is ongoing.

This would be the first Valentine’s Day bike race in the Kingdom. In the past, several running competitions were held to mark the occasion.

Five years ago, more than 3,000 young people joined a Valentine’s Day “couple’s run” at the Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh. The proceeds from the event, which was organized by Ice Watch and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, went to the Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital.

A “Run for Love” organized by the NOCC in 2015 drew more than 2,500 runners.

Sihanoukville hosts major sports competitions from time to time.

Last year, the province and namesake capital city were part of Cambodia Bay Cycling Tour 2020, the biggest and most prestigious cycling competition ever hosted by the Kingdom.

It also hosts the annual Sihanoukville International Half Marathon. But the event has not been held for the past two years because of COVID-19 pandemic and damage to the running course.

The event will come on the heels of the National Cycling Championship, Cambodia’s biggest cycling competition. The event, which was held in Siem Reap province, drew more than 300 riders from 24 clubs in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and other provinces.