GlobalLimits Cambodia - The Ancient Khmer Path is Kurt’s third multi-stage race and his first in Asia. He shares with us his running journey, how he prepared for the win, and his impression on the race. Oh and he hinted that we will see him again in another GlobalLimits race and we are excited.

Please tell us about yourself:

I am 51 years old and started running at the age 47 with the goal of completing 10 marathons. After running (my first) 2 marathons in 2019, the Covid pandemic thwarted my plan to reach my goal. On the other hand, during the pandemic, the smaller trails and ultratrails running events kept going anyway, therefore, I switched to trail running. In addition, I was inspired by some books written by ultra runners. Thus, the interest in running multistage races was born. I ran my first 100km run in 2020, and in 2021 I ran my first multistage in the Pyrenees. Then, in spring 2022, I ran the legendary Marathon des Sables (MDS).

Why did you choose GlobalLimits Cambodia - The Ancient Khmer Path to race?

It was Valerie van der Veeken (another participant in the 9th GlobalLimits Cambodia), the contact person for the Belgians in MDS, who asked who wanted to participate in GlobalLimits Cambodia. My experience from the Pyrenee and MDS proved that running a multi-stage race was the ideal way to discover a country. As I had never been to Asia before, Cambodia was the ideal destination for a multi-stage run. I was very excited to participate in the GlobalLimits run in Cambodia!!!

How did you prepare for the race?

After running MDS in April 2022, I continued to train at an average of +/-80 km/week. With the 2 goals left for me in 2022, this was an excellent way to maintain a very good base condition. The last weekend of October, I ran in the 100km Grizzly Bear Trail with 2500 hm to 7th place out of 166 participants. This was confirmation that I was ready for Cambodia!

How did you like the race? The best experience and the worst experience?

I enjoyed the whole race/week. For me, this 6-day multi-stage race in Cambodia was a chain of highlights. Running through the countryside and jungle of Cambodia, the connection you make with the other participants at the camp site, the support and enthusiasm of the crew,... I cannot remember any negatives, especially because I have the attitude to embrace every moment, even if there is a not so good moment, “Deal with it and move on.” is my moto!

Where are we going to see you again?

The next GlobalLimits race I would like to participate in is The last secret in Bhutan 2024.

With this, I would like to express my deepest thanks to Stefan and his team for organising this exceptional race! I enjoyed every minute in Cambodia!!