Malioboro Run, Marathon While Enjoying Heritage Tours in Yogyakarta

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A marathon event named Malioboro Run was held on Sunday, December 11, 2022, and has attracted thousands of participants. It was recorded that 2,000 runners were participating in the event to boost sports tourism in the city of Yogyakarta.

"The events in the city like this turned out to be in demand by the participants. There were a lot of enthusiasts from outside the city because this event was held at the weekend to take advantage of the holidays," said Secretary of Yogyakarta, Kadarmanta Baskara Aji, during the opening of the event.

Aji stated that the holding of the event which coincided with the 61st anniversary of the Yogyakarta Regional Government banking, Bank BPD DIY, is intended as a testing ground to explore any potential for sports tourism in the city centre. This is due to sports tourism so far being mostly held in Yogyakarta regencies, which have open landscapes and natural tourist destinations.

"The city's urban routes can be explored by tourism actors that are interested in sports tourism, the proof can be seen in this marathon event," said Aji.

Malioboro Run is the first marathon event in downtown Yogyakarta which provides two classes for participants, the first is the 5K (kilometre) running class which is attended by 900 participants and the 10K class which is attended by 1,100 participants. The event provides a total prize of tens of millions of rupiah.

The entire route of the event was held in the centre of Yogyakarta City by crossing iconic locations and areas of heritage. Apart from the Malioboro area, there is the zero km point (Titik Nol Kilometer), Tugu Jogja, Kotabaru, and the City Square (Alun-Alun Kidul).

"This is the first event we have prepared so that it can become a new Yogyakarta tourism icon with a healthy lifestyle nuance," said BPD DIY Main Director Santoso Rohmad.

Santoso said the event did not have a limit on the participant, anyone that is a professional in a marathon and even the general public could take part in the event. "Because this event is designed on Sunday, participants from outside Yogyakarta can also stay at various hotels, enjoy the cuisine and spend their money in the area," he said.

The Head of the Yogyakarta Tourism Office, Singgih Rahardjo, said that in addition to the experience of the marathon in the city, the Malioboro Run participants were invited to enjoy typical Yogyakarta culinary and arts which were centred at the Inna Garuda Hotel at the northern end of Jalan Malioboro. "To push the event on to become a new icon in the world of tourism, a trigger is needed, and this event can be an example for tourism actors," he said.

PRIBADI WICAKSONO (CONTRIBUTOR) | IMAJI LASAHIDO (INTERN)

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