Cyclists from all over the world will gather to experience the stunning Angkor Wat ancient temple ruins while supporting Village Focus International (www.villagefocus.org), a non-governmental organization working in Southeast Asia. The participant who raises the most sponsorships will win a round-trip ticket to the event.

The 80 km course will give participants a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the temples as they once were, free of the traffic of the 750,000 tourists who now visit annually. Participants can expect to be joined only by the locals living in the forests around the temples, who will be cheering the bikers along.

Village Focus is an innovative organization that is making a remarkable impact on the lives of thousands of people in Southeast Asia by empowering local leaders who wish to create positive change in their communities. Target issues include: strengthening civil society and human rights, defending land rights for indigenous people, protecting vulnerable children against trafficking and pedophilia, and promoting fair trade.

This race will be the largest fundraising event for Village Focus and will include pre and post-ride parties, a foot tour of the Angkor temples, and other fun stuff. We will work closely with each participant to help arrange travel plans and logistics. We are asking each participant to support Village Focus by seeking sponsorship from family, friends, and companies, and can help coordinate this aspect of the event as well. Email Brian Pace at bike.angkor@gmail.com for more details or visit http://villagefocus.org/angkor_marathon/index.htm to register.