Borobudur Marathon Gets Appreciation From Runners
The 2020 Borobudur Marathon received appreciation from runners even though it was held in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Male runners cross the water spray gate at the 2020 Borobudur Marathon at the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Sunday (11/15/2020).
MAGELANG, KOMPAS - The 2020 Borobudur Marathon received appreciation from runners even though it was held in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Runners and all supporters of the annual event completed each round of the race in silence and discipline for the sake of mutual victory.
All parties, including runners, were aware that the event , which was held on Sunday (15/11/2020), showed the world that Indonesia is capable of holding a marathon race amid a pandemic.
"The facilities for this event are on par with international events that I have participated in, such as the 2018 Indonesian Asian Games and the 2019 Philippines SEA Games. I hope that this good quality will be further maintained,” said Pretty Sihite, 23, the champion of the 2020 Borobudur Marathon in the women’s category. Pretty clocked in at three hours, 11 minutes and 51 seconds.
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According to Pretty, there were no facilities equivalent to the 2020 Borobudur Marathon in a number of national running championships in previous years, including the last edition of the Borobudur Marathon.
At the 2020 Borobudur Marathon , Pretty only brought along personal equipment because the committee had already provided all her needs, including a round-trip ticket, city transportation, lodging, food and health services. In fact, runners were also accompanied by liaison officers.
The facilities for this event are on par with international events that I have participated.
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Pretty Sihite female runner raised two hands when she finished first in the women\'s category at the 2020 Borobudur Marathon at Borobudur Temple Tourism Park, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Sunday (15/11/2020).
A runner from Sijunjung, West Sumatra, Hamdan Syafril Sayuti, 33, said the live broadcast of the 2020 Borobudur Marathon, which he had never seen since becoming a runner in 2007, was a breakthrough for the national running championship.
The runners also hoped that the committee can revive other categories, such as the 5-kilometer race, 10K, and half marathon. They also wanted an audience. In addition, runners also hoped that the route would not only go around the Borobudur temple. The narrow route and many bends in Lumbini Park in the Borobudur temple complex, have the potential to cause injury.
The secretary-general of the Indonesian Athletics Federation (PB PASI), Tigor M Tanjung, appreciated the 2020 Borobudur Marathon’s organizing committee. With strict health protocols, the event ran smoothly and safely, he said
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The deputy chairman of Kompas daily, Budiman Tanuredjo, said the success of the 2020 Borobudur Marathon in the midst of a pandemic offered some optimism. Next year, when conditions are expected to return to normal, the committee will try to increase the number of participants by slightly changing the platform.
The chairman of the Borobudur Marathon Foundation, Liem Chi An, and the head of the Central Java Youth, Tourism and Sports Office, Sinung Nugroho, agreed that this event could become an inspiration for sports performances, including in several other sport branches. Meanwhile, Pujiono, the director for corporate and commerce of Bank Jateng, the cosponsor of the event, hoped that the holding of the same event next year would be able to drive the local economy.
Local residents, who were able to make money from the previous Borobudur Marathon events, were aware that they could only cheer the runners from far away in this year’s event.
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Female elite runners compete to complete 12 rounds with a total distance of 42.5 kilometers at the 2020 Borobudur Marathon in the Borobudur Temple area, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Sunday (15/11/2020).
Rukidi, 60, for example, who was tapping coconut trees, rushed down. After putting on a mask, he stopped on a hillside, on the roadside of the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park complex on Sunday (15/11). Clapping his hands, he cheered all the passing runners.
“In previous years, my neighbors and I prepared fruit in the yard for the runners who passed by while cheering them. This year, he said, there were no crowds because of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Rukidi, a resident of Gejagan hamlet Borobudur temple.
Self-evaluation
Many runners used the 2020 Borobudur Marathon event to evaluate their performances. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they did not train optimally so their record time fell drastically. In fact, some runners failed to finish.
"We did not train optimally as we used to during the pandemic. Moreover, there was no championship that can motivate them to practice properly. Therefore, our physical performance was not in the normal condition, so it was difficult to maintain and sharpen our best at the 2020 Borobudur Marathon," said Hamdan Syafril Sayuti, third-place winner in the men\'s marathon.
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Extended lockdowns due to the pandemic has had a negative impact on athletes’ performance. With the exception of women\'s marathon champion Sihite, who competed in the marathon, almost all participants experienced a decline in their performances. The top three male runners in the event failed to improve their best times and even failed to reach the target set before this championship.
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The celebration of the male runner Betmen Manurung when he finished first at the 2020 Borobudur Marathon at the Borobudur Temple Tourism Park, Magelang Regency, Central Java, Sunday (15/11/2020).
Men\'s marathon champion Betmen Manurung recorded a time of two hours, 42 minutes 25 seconds in this championship. That is below his best of two hours, 41 minutes three seconds recorded at the 2019 Bintan Marathon and the target time to finish in two hours and 40 minutes.
The second-place winner, Suwandi, recorded a time of two hours, 43 minutes and 43 seconds, a far cry from his best of two hours, 39 to 36 seconds at the 2019 Jakarta Marathon and his target time of two hours and 38 minutes. Meanwhile, the third-place winner, Hamdan, recorded a time of two hours, 45 minutes and 15 seconds, which fell from his best of two hours and 38 minutes at the 2019 Jakarta Marathon and his target time of two hours and 35 minutes.
"In this competition, patience was the main key for runners who could finish and win the top three. If you were not patient or tempted to push yourself from the start of the race, your body could drop because you were not able to properly prepare yourself for the race, ”said Hamdan.
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As for the second-place winner in the women’s category, Irma Handayani recorded a time of three hours, 11 minutes and 51 seconds, well below her best of three hours, eight minutes and five seconds at the 2019 Borobudur Marathon, but better than her target time of three hours and 15 minutes. The third-place winner, Oliva Sadi, recorded a time of three hours and 31 minutes, a drop from her best time of three hours and 15 minutes at the 2019 Borobudur Marathon, and her target time of three hours and 30 minutes.
"I am lucky to be able to win this race, maybe because I was still able to maintain moderate- to high-intensity training from the beginning of the year until now. This kept me physically well so I could get past the senior runners, ” said Sihite. (DRI / DIT / EGI / GRE)
