I've been racing hybrid-style events since 2018 — that addictive mix of running and functional strength where you sprint, then grind, then sprint again. Spartan races, Hyrox, the Iron Viking, CrossFit competitions: once you've felt the particular pain of a heavy carry on already-trashed legs, it's hard to go back to just running. It became a genuine obsession, and over the years I kept coming back to the same thought on every start line abroad: why isn't there one of these at home, in Cambodia?
Cambodia's fitness scene is booming. Running crews, gyms and wellness communities are growing every year, and the appetite for a real event is obvious. So I decided to stop waiting for someone else to build it. I'm building FORGE — Cambodia's first ever hybrid fitness race.
The format is simple and brutal: a 5 km course run in 500 m laps, with 10 functional fitness stations along the way. Run a lap, hit a station, repeat ten times. There are categories for Individuals, Doubles and Youth, so it works whether you're chasing a podium or just turning up with a mate. It lands on 14 November 2026 at the ISF Sports Ground in Phnom Penh.
What matters most to me is that FORGE is built in Cambodia, for Cambodia. This isn't a franchise flown in from overseas. Every one of the stations is locally made and Cambodian-themed, and the finisher shirts and finisher patches are produced here too — keeping the work, and the money, with local businesses and makers rather than an international supply chain.
The social angle is the part I'm proudest of. FORGE is run in support of ISF Cambodia, a charity that has spent 20 years using sport to educate and develop young people — 2026 happens to be their 20th anniversary. The race takes place on their home ground, the finisher shirts are tailored by ISF themselves, and a share of every entry flows straight back into their programmes. ISF puts 85 cents of every dollar it receives directly into its work, so signing up is also a contribution to something that lasts well beyond race day.
This is the project I've quietly wanted to do for years, and it's finally real. If you're in the region, come and test yourself — or just come and cheer; spectator entry is free.