TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Kenyan runners, James Karanja won the first ever predawn marathon championship which was held at 01:00 a.m. on Sunday in the Bogor city of Indonesia West Java Province.

James entered the finish line in two hours 40 minutes three seconds or far enough ahead of his compatriot Dennis Isika who finished out second in two hours 45 minutes 45 seconds.

At the unusual running event, around 3,000 runners, including the foreign ones, joined the Mandiri Bogor Sundown Marathon 2017.

In the womens marathon of 42 km, Sharfina Sheila Rusada became the fastest after posting three hours 53 minutes 30 seconds. Sharfina was followed by Yeni Wijaya who reached the finish line in five hours nine minutes 16 seconds and at the third position was Aileen Ho from Singapore in five hours 17 minutes and 38 seconds.

The running race has four categories, namely full marathon of 42,195 kilometers, half marathon of 21.1 kilometers, 10 K, and 5 K, which will start at 01:00 predawn.

Aileen even admired the Bogor city where the championship took place. According to her (Aileen), Bogor is a fun city and even better than Singapore.

"I like the weather. Nice to run and the contours of the area are not flat. The (weather) does not make us tired. The community is also friendly," Aileen disclosed.

The first-ever predawn marathon in the country started and finished at the Bogor Botanical Gardens on Sunday (July 9, 2017). The botanical gardens is located in Bogor city, 60 kilometers south of Jakarta.

The Mandiri Bogor Sundown Marathon 2017 offered the running track passed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and the 44th president of United States Barack Obama during the latters visit to the city on June 30, 2017.

Jokowi and Obama walked around and relaxed in the Botanical Garden during the latters visit in the city.

The Bogor Botanical Gardens and the Presidential Palace area have become icons in the running race competition.

ANTARA