Hem Bunting (, born December 12, 1985) is a Cambodian marathoner.
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."Against the Odds: Hem Bunting", BBC, July 21, 2008
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. The BBC's article on him moved one reader to send him new training shoes prior to the Beijing Olympics."Against the Odds: How did they do?", BBC, August 26, 2008
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.Jad Adrian (April 2012).Cambodian Hem Bunting Renews National Record 2:23:29 at Paris Marathon. www.adriansprints.com, Retrieved 16 April 2012.
Competition record Representing 2004World Half Marathon ChampionshipsNew Delhi, India79thHalf marathon1:19:40 (NR)2005Asian ChampionshipsIncheon, South Korea20th1500 m4:03.8713th5000 m15:41.302006Asian Indoor ChampionshipsPattaya, Thailand11th (h)1500 m4:06.109th3000 m9:02.00Asian GamesDoha, Qatar13th5000 m15:19.252007World ChampionshipsOsaka, Japan39th (h)1500 m4:08.31Southeast Asian GamesNakhon Ratchasima, Thailand3rd5000 m14:24.71 (NR)2008Olympic GamesBeijing, China73rdMarathon2:33:322009World ChampionshipsBerlin, Germany39th (h)1500 m4:08.64Jeux de la FrancophonieBeirut, Lebanon11th5000 m15:39.28Southeast Asian GamesVientiane, Laos6th5000 m15:45.633rdMarathon2:25:19.68 (NR)2010Asian GamesGuangzhou, China –MarathonDNF2013Asian ChampionshipsPune, India10th5000 m16:36.492014Asian GamesIncheon, South Korea –MarathonDNF
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
External links
BBC News video about Hem Bunting