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Jakarta Post

Running for a reason, or more

All smiles: Runners pose for the camera while participating in the Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, November 30, 2014

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Running for a reason, or more All smiles: Runners pose for the camera while participating in the Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)" height="400" width="600" border="0">All smiles: Runners pose for the camera while participating in the Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

The growth of running communities in recent years is picking up speed, meaning that marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks and fun runs are only growing more popular.

Unlike the local fads for fixed-wheel and cross-country bicycling, running remains the sport of choice for Jakarta’s outdoor enthusiasts. Some have fitness in mind; others, prize money. Most, however, run just for the fun of it.

Andy Wiryanto, an employee of Ericsson Indonesia, said he found that running was addictive.

“I’ve been running since 2012 and have taken part in many races since. I was a bit aggressive at first,” Andy said. The 28-year-old recently joined a runner’s club at the office, reputed to be the first at the multinational company.

Andy also ran the Bromo Marathon in East Java, the Jakarta Marathon (twice) and the Tokyo Marathon — one of the world’s major running events — in Japan earlier this year.

“If someone asked me after a race whether I would do that again next time, my answer would be no. Running long distance is painful. But it’s a challenge I’m willing to take,” Andy says. “The feeling of accomplishment after reaching the finish line may be the reason I will always come back for more.”

The trend for running in Indonesia started in 2009, when Indo Runners, a community of young middle-class Jakartans, came together to hit the streets together.

The community gained popularity in 2011, organizing its after-work Thursday Night Run, which circles the fX Lifestyle Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Get him: It is not just about fitness. A runner is spray-painted during the 5K Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)Get him: It is not just about fitness. A runner is spray-painted during the 5K Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
The community has since grown — it has more than 30,000 members in 17 cities nationwide — and has organized many races without worries of meeting participant quotas.

As the enthusiasm grows, so does the number of races.

The events have become the most favorable medium for advertisers and fundraisers, due to the huge number of attendees.

Dicky Sukmana, owner of the Invictus line of clothing stores, organized the PacaRun in April in Bandung, West Java. The name of the event sounds like the Indonesian word for dating.

The 5K fun-run targeted singles and couples looking for new hangouts and to meet new people. This was serious social engineering: The single runners were given different T-shirts to separate them from those who were taken.

“We had to limit the registration because T-shirt production takes time. Over 700 people registered on the final day of registration — and they all turned up,” Dicky said.

Social media played a part in promoting — and enjoying — the race, he adds. “They posted pictures while running on Twitter and we had them printed at the finish line.”

Dicky’s dating strategy panned out for some singles, who posted on Twitter photos with new significant others they claimed to have met at the race. “After a while there would be participants who asked for the name of other participants by mentioning their T-shirt numbers.”

The popularity of the event spread fast. Now, Dicky says he has been asked to organize similar runs in Semarang, Surabaya, Bali, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan and Makassar.

“I’m not an event organizer, all I have is the idea,” Dicky says. “But the running communities in those cities wanted to experience it, too. So we have plans to hold a PacaRun on Valentine’s Day next February simultaneously in those cities.”

Similar reasons prompted organizers of the Color Run, dubbed “the happiest 5K on the planet” to hold two iterations of the event this year.

In January, it booked a record 11,000 participants at the Parkir Timur Senayan in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

On the road: Runners at the Color Run in January. The fun run raised funds for the Indonesia Heart Foundation. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

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span class="inline inline-none">All smiles: Runners pose for the camera while participating in the Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

The growth of running communities in recent years is picking up speed, meaning that marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks and fun runs are only growing more popular.

Unlike the local fads for fixed-wheel and cross-country bicycling, running remains the sport of choice for Jakarta'€™s outdoor enthusiasts. Some have fitness in mind; others, prize money. Most, however, run just for the fun of it.

Andy Wiryanto, an employee of Ericsson Indonesia, said he found that running was addictive.

'€œI'€™ve been running since 2012 and have taken part in many races since. I was a bit aggressive at first,'€ Andy said. The 28-year-old recently joined a runner'€™s club at the office, reputed to be the first at the multinational company.

Andy also ran the Bromo Marathon in East Java, the Jakarta Marathon (twice) and the Tokyo Marathon '€” one of the world'€™s major running events '€” in Japan earlier this year.

'€œIf someone asked me after a race whether I would do that again next time, my answer would be no. Running long distance is painful. But it'€™s a challenge I'€™m willing to take,'€ Andy says. '€œThe feeling of accomplishment after reaching the finish line may be the reason I will always come back for more.'€

The trend for running in Indonesia started in 2009, when Indo Runners, a community of young middle-class Jakartans, came together to hit the streets together.

The community gained popularity in 2011, organizing its after-work Thursday Night Run, which circles the fX Lifestyle Center in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

Get him: It is not just about fitness. A runner is spray-painted during the 5K Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
Get him: It is not just about fitness. A runner is spray-painted during the 5K Color Run in the Parkir Timur in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta, in January. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)

The community has since grown '€” it has more than 30,000 members in 17 cities nationwide '€” and has organized many races without worries of meeting participant quotas.

As the enthusiasm grows, so does the number of races.

The events have become the most favorable medium for advertisers and fundraisers, due to the huge number of attendees.

Dicky Sukmana, owner of the Invictus line of clothing stores, organized the PacaRun in April in Bandung, West Java. The name of the event sounds like the Indonesian word for dating.

The 5K fun-run targeted singles and couples looking for new hangouts and to meet new people. This was serious social engineering: The single runners were given different T-shirts to separate them from those who were taken.

'€œWe had to limit the registration because T-shirt production takes time. Over 700 people registered on the final day of registration '€” and they all turned up,'€ Dicky said.

Social media played a part in promoting '€” and enjoying '€” the race, he adds. '€œThey posted pictures while running on Twitter and we had them printed at the finish line.'€

Dicky'€™s dating strategy panned out for some singles, who posted on Twitter photos with new significant others they claimed to have met at the race. '€œAfter a while there would be participants who asked for the name of other participants by mentioning their T-shirt numbers.'€

The popularity of the event spread fast. Now, Dicky says he has been asked to organize similar runs in Semarang, Surabaya, Bali, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan and Makassar.

'€œI'€™m not an event organizer, all I have is the idea,'€ Dicky says. '€œBut the running communities in those cities wanted to experience it, too. So we have plans to hold a PacaRun on Valentine'€™s Day next February simultaneously in those cities.'€

Similar reasons prompted organizers of the Color Run, dubbed '€œthe happiest 5K on the planet'€ to hold two iterations of the event this year.

In January, it booked a record 11,000 participants at the Parkir Timur Senayan in the Bung Karno Sports Complex in Senayan, Central Jakarta.

On the road: Runners at the Color Run in January. The fun run raised funds for the Indonesia Heart Foundation. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
On the road: Runners at the Color Run in January. The fun run raised funds for the Indonesia Heart Foundation. (JP/Jerry Adiguna)
Half of individual registration fees of Rp 225,000 were donated to Jantung Sehat Indonesia, a club formed by the Indonesia Heart Foundation to promote healthy lifestyles. A second Color run was dedicated to raise public awareness on Alzheimer'€™s disease, in cooperation with Alzheimer'€™s Indonesia.

Slamet Sudijono, head of marketing, branding and communication with CIMB Niaga, the main sponsor of the event, said that the Color Run would not be ineffective in getting people to start running for their health.

'€œIn the first few days after we opened registration, 12,000 people registered. Half of them were running for the first time.'€

However, he remained upbeat. '€œI think we'€™re already half way there of raising people'€™s awareness of Alzheimer'€™s. Studies say that routinely exercising 150 minutes a week can reduce the risk of Alzheimer'€™s by 30 percent,'€ he said.

The bank, he said, would donate Rp 10,000 from the registration fee of Rp 250,000 of the second event to Alzheimer'€™s Indonesia.

Charity is not the main consideration for runners, however. People have become selective, since running races was no longer inexpensive.

'€œI take part only on races that have interesting routes, or the ones held by credible organizers,'€ said Andy, who said he registered for 12 races this year.

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