TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Bali to welcome 5,300 runners
Bali is set to welcome some 5,300 runners for the BII Maybank Bali Marathon (BMBM) 2015 to be held on Sunday with cash prizes on offer totaling Rp 2 billion (US$150,000)
Change Size
Bali is set to welcome some 5,300 runners for the BII Maybank Bali Marathon (BMBM) 2015 to be held on Sunday with cash prizes on offer totaling Rp 2 billion (US$150,000).
'Elite runners from foreign countries are coming as we announced during the media conference,' project manager Satyo Haryo Wibisono told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Among those who will participate in the event is last year's men's winner Kennedy Kiproo Lilan, who will be seeking his fourth win since the marathon was first held in 2012.
Defending champion in the women's division Elizabeth Jeruiyo Chemwen is not on the participation list this year, but runner-up Elizabeth Chepkanan Rumokol's attendance has been confirmed.
Satyo said that the foreign runners were expected to arrive on Saturday.
Apart from the 42.2km full marathon, Sunday's event at Gianyar regency will also feature a 21.1km half marathon and 10K run.
'Many participants want to switch between categories, but unfortunately we cannot entertain their requests,' Satuyo said.
While the chance to challenge the world's elite runners is slim, local runners will relish a fight for the national championship. Defending champion in the men's division, Hamdan Sayuti is back. He will face tough competition from 2013 champion Yahuza while veterans Supriati Sutono and Triyaningsih will head the national elite.
The organizers have announced the running route to the public, which will be effective from 10 p.m. on Saturday to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Held since 2012, the Bali marathon has gained popularity among the running community both locally and internationally. The number of participants has increased from 2,000 in 2012 to 3,000 in 2013, 4,500 in 2014 and 5,300 this year.
The number of participants could have been even higher this year if the organizers had not limited the number.
'We had to limit the number to ensure ample room for running,' Satyo said.
The Bali Marathon has been included in the official race directory of the Boston Marathon, which is one of the world's major events, along with the Berlin, New York, London, Chicago and Tokyo marathons.
The annual event is expected to serve as a form of promotional leverage to help boost tourist visits to the island.
'I'm very excited and I appreciate this accomplishment. It's an honor for the Balinese to host this big international athletic event each year,' Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika noted in his written speech printed in the event's guide book.
'I believe that this event will drive up athletic sports in Indonesia, especially in Bali. This race could also show to the world that Bali is capable of developing sports tourism,' he said.
This year's Bali Marathon will also serve as a qualifying field for the next National Games to be held in Bandung in 2016.
