In brief
More than five thousand participants ran a 3‑km and 10‑km course at Angkor Park on World Children’s Day, while educational sessions highlighted climate, online safety and mental health. UNICEF’s representative Maha Damaj urged that children everywhere deserve safe, enriching environments, and runners Mao Bilita and Kun Sokhea called on young people to study hard and seek community support.
Thousands gathered at the Beside the storied Bakong Temple in Cambodia’s Angkor Archaeological Park on Sunday to mark World Children’s Day with a celebratory run and a series of workshops focused on the welfare of children worldwide.
The event counted more than 5,000 participants, who tackled a 3‑kilometre route and a longer 10‑kilometre route that wound through the ancient ruins. The day was organised as a joint effort of government officials, international aid agencies, local artists, influencers, families and children, all united under a banner of advocacy and opportunity.
UNICEF’s representative for Cambodia, Maha Damaj, opened the programme with remarks that underscored the urgency of ensuring that every child, whether in an urban apartment, a floating village on Tonle Sap Lake or a rural community recovering after crisis, is granted safe, supportive environments and the chance to reach their full potential.
"Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential," Damaj told the media, “and we must place children at the centre of our decisions and investments.”
She highlighted how recent economic tremors, the widening climate crisis, online sexual exploitation and abuse, and mounting mental‑health challenges threaten the hard‑won gains that have been made for children over the past decades. “The progress made for children is fragile, and we must protect it,” she added, stressing a strategy that mixes safety, education, mental‑health support and climate‐action education.
A range of educational workshops ran in parallel with the run. Topics included climate action, online safety, inclusivity, mental health, healthy lifestyles, and civic engagement. Participants of all ages were invited to engage, pose questions, and share stories that illuminate the day’s core theme: children’s rights.
Several runners also seized the opportunity to speak directly to the crowd and message the next generation about responsibility and support. 23‑year‑old Mao Bilita, who completed the 3‑km course, expressed satisfaction that the event merged physical activity with an awareness campaign: “I am thrilled to see children coming together at this fun run to promote children’s rights,” he told Xinhua. “My message to children around the world is that there will always be people who listen to you, seek to understand you, and support you.”
Kyateu runner Kun Sokhea, 24, echoed that sentiment, stressing the imperative to cultivate environments where children’s rights remain uncompromised: “To all Cambodian children, my message is: study hard, and always listen to the advice of your parents and teachers,” sokhea told the press.
Success indicators for the event were more than the sheer number of participants. Community engagement was evident in the spirited chatter that unfolded in real‑time along the running path, and the widespread appearances of children from schools, community groups and health outreach programmes. Some runners paused near the temple’s marble steps to speak with older attendees about building a climate‑resilient future.
The organisers set up multiple checkpoints that featured short informational displays on children’s rights, online safety, and the prevention of sexual exploitation. Staff and volunteers ran a “safe‑space” station with mental‑health counsellors who offered immediate support to participants in distress, reflecting the day’s broader commitment to children’s psychological well‑being.
Beyond the immediate reach of Angkor Park, the event’s message has already begun to seep into community conversations. Parents in the surrounding villages have used the platform to discuss preventive measures for online exposure and to share strategies for supporting children amid economic uncertainty. In the mobile clinics that visited the site, health workers highlighted the mental‑health seminars as a resource for parents and instructors of young athletes.
While the event was scheduled on a public holiday, the organisers confirmed that the day was open to all, even those who might otherwise face logistical barriers to participation. As part of this inclusive approach, athletes of varied ages, including junior runners and school teams, were welcomed to enjoy the fun run wrap‑up with music and local delicacies prepared by community chefs.
In the days following the run, local government officials have cited the event as a success in achieving key developmental consensus indicators for children’s rights. The Prime Minister’s Office has indicated that similar activities will likely become a fair part of the national public‑health calendar, aiming to solidify the day’s momentum across the country.
More importantly, the event underscored the importance of collective accountability toward protecting children in an age where economic strains and climate change threaten the very fabric of childhood. Participants carried home a tangible understanding of how community support, combined with strategic policy action, can translate into real benefits for the next generation.
As the novel storm of global change continues to affect children’s lives worldwide, the fun run in Angkor Park offers a model of how inclusive, civic engagement can shift policy, inspire community spoke‑out voices, and at the same time provide a joyous collective experience that all ages can appreciate.
