Hem Bunting

Hem Bunting (Khmer: ហែម ប៊ុនទីង, born December 12, 1985) is a Cambodian marathoner.

Hem Bunting
Medal record
Representing  Cambodia
Athletics
Southeast Asian Games
Silver medal – second place 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima Marathon
Bronze medal – third place 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima 5,000 m
Bronze medal – third place 2009 Vientiane Marathon

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.[1]

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.[1] The BBC's article on him moved one reader to send him new training shoes prior to the Beijing Olympics.[2]

He has made a significant effort in his second Marathon outing of 2012 after finishing in top 50 (42nd) at the Paris Marathon on April 15 with a personal best of 2:23:29. The time also improved on his previous national record 2:25:20 set during 2009 Southeast Asian Games in Vientiane where he won a bronze medal. Not only that, his official intermediate time at half marathon shows 1:09:04, which is a new national record.[3]

Competition record
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Cambodia
2004 World Half Marathon Championships New Delhi, India 79th Half marathon 1:19:40 (NR)
2005 Asian Championships Incheon, South Korea 20th 1500 m 4:03.87
13th 5000 m 15:41.30
2006 Asian Indoor Championships Pattaya, Thailand 11th (h) 1500 m 4:06.10
9th 3000 m 9:02.00
Asian Games Doha, Qatar 13th 5000 m 15:19.25
2007 World Championships Osaka, Japan 39th (h) 1500 m 4:08.31
Southeast Asian Games Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand 3rd 5000 m 14:24.71 (NR)
2008 Olympic Games Beijing, China 73rd Marathon 2:33:32
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 39th (h) 1500 m 4:08.64
Jeux de la Francophonie Beirut, Lebanon 11th 5000 m 15:39.28
Southeast Asian Games Vientiane, Laos 6th 5000 m 15:45.63
3rd Marathon 2:25:19.68 (NR)
2010 Asian Games Guangzhou, China – Marathon DNF
2013 Asian Championships Pune, India 10th 5000 m 16:36.49
2014 Asian Games Incheon, South Korea – Marathon DNF

Personal bests

Outdoor

  • 1500 m – 4:03.87 (Incheon 2005)
  • 5000 m – 14:24.71 (Nakhon Ratchasema 2007)
  • Half Marathon – 1:11:47 (Khon Kaen 2008)
  • Marathon – 2:23:29 (Paris 2012)

Indoor

  • 1500 m – 4:06.10 (Pattaya 2006)
  • 3000 m – 9:02.00 (Pattaya 2006)

References
  1. "Against the Odds: Hem Bunting", BBC, July 21, 2008
  2. "Against the Odds: How did they do?", BBC, August 26, 2008
  3. Jad Adrian (April 2012).Cambodian Hem Bunting Renews National Record 2:23:29 at Paris Marathon. www.adriansprints.com, Retrieved 16 April 2012.


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