Running activity has been rising its popularity these past few years. In fact, millennials are very interested in this activity. Many sport event that includes fun run will be crowded by many young people. Running is a cheap sport activity, yet very effective in shaping your healthy life. Moreover, many organization has been doing various programs with running as its main attraction. That’s why we could nowadays easily find many running event all across the country.
As Indonesia consists of many archipelagos, each province has their own fun running event. Some of them are held annually. So if you like running, these events might be suitable for your interest:
1. Cap Go Meh Singkawang
This event is held in Singkawang, West Kalimantan. This event’s purpose is to celebrate Cap Go Meh event, a Chinese tradition that’s usually celebrated 15 days after Chinese lunar year. This run festival will go through City of Singkawang (City of Thousand Pagodas) with beautiful Chinese accessories so that your run will not be boring. A fun run with Chinese tradition background? That will be good content for your Instagram feed, right?
2. Jakarta Marathon
One of the biggest annual run festival in Indonesia. It actually has hit international level as back to 2014, the participant hit up to 14.000 people from 47 countries. Wow, what a big event, no? This marathon event will go through iconic landmark in Jakarta such National Monument (Monumen Nasional), Mosque Istiqlal, to the Old City (Kota Tua).
Can you imagine when Jakarta is usually crowded with cars, then it’s suddenly transformed in to thousands of people. So, if you want to experience how walking in the street of Jakarta feels like, then you must try this event as soon as possible.
3. Makassar Running Festival
This event will accompany you going around City of Makassar, South Sulawesi, seeing beautiful landmark such as Losari Beach, Fortress of Rotterdam, Art Centre of Societte de Harmonian, and finishing in Mandala Monument.
Other than that, you can experience many beautiful tourism site in Makassar and some iconic culinary that can make your visit worth your time. If you want to know how it feels living in Eastern Indonesia, Makassar Running Festival is a good start for you.
4. Toraja Marathon
Toraja Marathon was firstly held in Tana Toraja and North Toraja in 2016. Aside from its sporting event, this event is held for promoting Tana Toraja to international scene. So, when you join this marathon, you will meet some foreign people who participate as well. The route is also pretty challenging as you will go through some traditional village and its iconic catacomb.
As it has been recognized by international runner, you will see some faces from Malaysia, Singapore, United Kingdom, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. There are also categories that you can chose ranging from 4K to 42K. Feeling challenged? Prepare yourself and visit Toraja!
5. Bromo Marathon
This big international marathon event is one of the most anticipated running event in Indonesia. Located in Bromo National Park, Tengger, East Java. This event is one of the program coming from Ministry of Tourism to promote Mount Bromo tourism site.
There are many categories that you can join such as 10K, half marathon, and full marathon. Since the running event is held in the mountain, the track will be difficult. You will go through high and low ground, so that you need to prepare yourself in such track. If you feel challenged, go join this event!
6. Coast to Coast Night Trail Ultra
This event has unique name for a run event. Coast to Coast means that you will run starting from a beach and finishing to the same beach. This running event is held in Yogyakarta, specifically in Depok region. This event is also the most anticipated event by runner from all over the nation. For the categories, there are three categories: 25K, 50K, and 70K.
Yogyakarta is also a great place to spend a vacation, so after joining this program you can visit some of the finest tourism site in Yogyakarta and tasting delicious traditional culinary that could please your soul.
7. Goat Run Trail Running Series
A first trail running race series in Indonesia. What is trail running race? It’s a running event that’s held in uphill route and because it’s a series event, so there will be multiple uphill routes that you must conquer before touching finish line. Goat Run Trail challenges every runner to conquer the slopes of Mountain Guntur, Slamet, and Lawu.
This event was first held in 2018 with two categories, 20K and 35K, while there’s yet announcement for the next event. However, this running event is pretty challenging for those who like running and hiking as it has those two elements.
8. Borobudur 10k
Temple of Borobudur is the perfect place to hold annual event and Government of Central Java understands it. They managed to hold this event since 2015 using its cultural element. Running around majestic temple could be very interesting for you. There are several categories in this annual event from 5K, 10K, 21K, to 42K.
Borobudur Temple is also near Yogyakarta that you can spend some times there before you go back to your daily routine. Other than that, Magelang also has various kind of cultural event and iconic landmark that you can visit. Magelang culinary is also amazing and worth to try.
9. Bali Marathon
An annual event isn’t complete if we don’t talk about Bali. A top class tourism destination in Indonesia has been holding a marathon event since 2012. In this event, you will run through a route that will give you traditional scenery from Bali that will please your soul.
Other than that, Bali Marathon has once been selected as one of six site to hold World Marathon Series in 2014. So, if a runner gets to break some finish requirement, they will get to be invited to Boston, USA.
With international certification and the beauty of Bali, this event can attract up to 7000 participants from many countries.
10. Nusantarun
Nusatararun is a new marathon event in Indonesia. Only started in 2018, they have already held marathon event six times. Nusantararun has also positive purpose on its event. All the money that goes in the event will be directly to institution that needs it the most. In other word, Nusantararun is a form of charity run event. However, the participation for this event is very high. People are always waiting announcement when the next Nusatararun will be held.
Nusantararun is also consistently held 100k marathon event. So, if you like participate in running event and it has noble purpose, Nusantararun is the perfect event for your desire.
Those are some very special running events that are held annually in our country. Other than promoting healthy life to the youth, these events also introduce their tourism product that could be a great promotion material in the future. Running sometimes can be hard as it drains you physically, but by fun run event, your journey will be easier as you can do that with your friend and family. Other than that, after running, you can enjoy the tourism site or other products that are provided by event organizer. That’s a win-win experience for you, you get healthy and you get excitement.
