ndonesian runners Mery M. Paijo, 29, and Hamdan Sayuti, 26, took top positions in the female and male divisions, respectively, of the full marathon Indonesian category of the Maybank Bali Marathon held on Sunday.
Previously joining the race in 2014, East Nusa Tenggara-born Mery M. Paijo said this year’s marathon was her comeback moment after giving birth in 2015. “My initial target was three hours 20 minutes, but it turned out that I won with three hours two minutes. I cried. I just never thought that I could exceed that,” she told The Jakarta Post, adding that it took five months for her to prepare for the competition.
(Read also: New Kenyan runners triumph in Maybank Bali Marathon)
Unbeknownst to her she was actually pregnant when she ran in the 2014 race. “I didn't know it at the time. When I stopped menstruating after the competition, I went to the doctor and found out that I was a month pregnant,” she said.
Meanwhile, this year's victory is the third for Padang-born Hamdan Sayuti, who has participated in the race since 2014. He considers the race training for the National Games (PON) in September. When asked about his victory, Hamdan has an interesting recipe for success. “Most Balinese have dogs and sometimes they run after us, so we must run faster than them,” he laughed, adding that the marathon route began from a main road to small streets through local villages.
Hamdan, who joined the SEA Games 2015, believes that running is best done on a route with a flat surface such as in Jakarta and Singapore. “But I like Bali the most, although it has uphill and downhill sections; the atmosphere is refreshing,” he said. “I ran through rice fields and I could see the sea, thus I didn’t feel exhausted.”
Similarly, Mery is also fond of running in the Bali Marathon. “Everything was guaranteed. When we were thirsty or hungry, there were spots that provided supplies. They kept us hydrated and the event was started on time.”
As for his forthcoming race, Hamdan, who aims to participate in the Los Angeles Marathon, is slated to run in the National Games in Bandung. Meanwhile, Mery, who participated in the SEA Games 2013 in Myanmar, is still preparing for the Jakarta Marathon on Oct. 23.
She also shared her dreams of competing in South Korea and Kenya someday. “Running is part of my life. If I get money from it, it is for my living costs, college tuition and helping my parents.” (kes)
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