Mekong River at Luang Prabang
The organisers of the inaugural half marathon named “La Procession” which takes place in Luang Prabang are looking for more runners to take part. The charity event which takes place on the 5th October 2013 has around 400 entrants so far but they are looking for as many as 900 runners. They also hope to attract a large amount of foreign runners to the event.
So if you are reading this and will be in that part of the world in October, consider making the trip to Luang Prabang. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to it’s beautiful buildings, temples and natural features. This means that aside from the enjoyment of taking part in the marathon, it is worth a visit anyway. For more information about things to do in Luang Prabang, check out TheyTravel’s article of the Top 10 Things to do in Luang Prabang.
The marathon will be divided into three distances of 7km, 14km and 21km and will pass many of the city’s famous landmarks. The minimum donation is just $200 which helps cover the costs of the event, the final proceeds will be donated to the Friends-International (FI) charity. It is important to stress that the organisers of this event make it clear it is purely for charity and not put on for profit unlike perhaps some other dubious events in other places.
The charity Friends-International aim to protect children from abuse as well as support them in re-integration back into society as productive and happy citizens. The race is sponsored by Aman Resorts, HSBC and Lao Airlines along with other local businesses. Thus giving real credibility to the event.