Letting Go of Longing for Togetherness at ‘Bank Jateng Tilik Candi’

After two years of not being able to involve residents because of the pandemic, Borobudur Marathon is again bringing joy to the race track. The runners’ longing for togetherness has been cured.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Tilik Candi runners enter the finish line at the Borobudur Marathon 2022 Powered by Bank Jateng at Lumbini Park, Borobudur Temple area, Central Java, Sunday (11/13/2022). The Tilik Candi running event, which was attended by 4,500 participants, ran a distance of 21 kilometers, closing the Borobudur Marathon series.

A total of 4,552 runners and thousands of residents let go of their longing for togetherness in the Bank Jateng Tilik Candi (Bank Jateng Looks at the Temple) half-marathon race. The event, which is the final in the series of the Borobudur Marathon 2022 Powered by Bank Jateng, was held around Borobudur Temple, Magelang Regency, Central Java, on Sunday (13/11/2022).

Among the dozens of residents who gave their support around the 13th kilometer near Pawon Temple, Sumarno (65) and his wife, Sri Wahyu Ningsih (63), joined in encouraging the runners. Sumarno hit a wooden bell to accompany applause and shouts of encouragement from his wife beside him.

"Come on, get excited; come on, get excited," said Sri to the passing runners.

Their efforts may just ripple between the loud banging of the drum-band's equipment and the loud chants of groups of children and youth 10-20 meters away from the couple's seats. However, the couple supported with full sincerity; no one directed them.

"The last run with such a crowd was in 2019, right? During the 2020 and 2021 pandemics, there was no competition. Therefore, it was quiet. Now the competition can be held again. It's nice to see the runners again," said Sumarno.

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"This is free entertainment that we can see from the front of the house while basking in the morning sun," he added.

Via collaboration with the government and the community, the committee facilitated 32 location points for residents to provide support to runners along the track that stretches for 21.0975 Kilometres. The residents involved range from elementary-school students and youth-organization Karang Taruna to women and men.

They presented a number of performances, such as dances in ethnic attire, playing traditional and modern musical instruments, as well as singing with encouraging lyrics. There were also chants and banners containing encouraging words, including ku kan bernyanyi seperti dia berlari (I will sing like he is running).

I'm happy to be able to join in entertaining the runners again. Borobudur Marathon is a big event.

For example, sixth-grade student of SD Negeri Ringinputih 1 state elementary school, Magelang, Central Java, Melisa Armawati (12) set aside one month to learn the choreography of the Garuda Nusantara-themed dance. On the day of the competition, she woke up in the early morning to apply makeup and wore contemporary-patterned clothes, a blend of Javanese characteristics combined with makeup in the shape of an eagle. She was the main performer of the eight creation dancers.

“I'm happy to be able to join in entertaining the runners again. Borobudur Marathon is a big event. I’m proud to be able to participate directly," she said.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

The starting flag before being raised for the Tilik Candi runners during the Borobudur Marathon 2022 Powered by Bank Jateng at Lumbini Park, Borobudur Temple area, Central Java, Sunday (11/13/2022).

Tiredness Buster

The runners were enthusiastic about watching the attractions of the residents. The majority of runners interacted with residents as a form of appreciation. Some greeted them while running, some asked for a high-five and some stopped for a moment to take pictures and record videos.

Most of the runners even admitted that the support from the residents helped to dispel their fatigue, especially at the end of the race, when energy was low and the weather was getting hotter. After all, the race track was challenging; there were steep descents and climbs.

This was felt by the female runner from West Java, Ai Kusmiati (22), who won gold with a time of 1:30:05.00 and the male runner from West Sumatra, Khairullah (30), who won gold with a time of 1:18:02.00.

"The attraction of community support is one of the attractions of the Borobudur Marathon and is greatly missed, especially during the pandemic," said Ai.

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The impact of the support was believed to be quite large. When she felt very tired near the end of the race, the voices of singing and the yells of the residents distracted her tired mind.

"So, I wanted to rush closer to the source of the sound and continued running until I didn't feel that I approached the finish line, when I could even finish first, and scored the best individual-time record," she said.

Meanwhile, Khairullah took part in the half-marathon competition for the first time and participated in the Borobudur Marathon. As a debutant, Khairullah was not too burdened by the challenging path and humid weather typical of the area around Borobudur Temple.

Hopefully, the Borobudur Marathon will truly belong to the people of Borobudur, Magelang and its surroundings. This event belongs to them

“Indirectly, it was thanks to the cheers of the spectators that made running more fun. I really enjoyed the race here; the atmosphere on the track and the excitement of the spectators can't be found anywhere else. If I ever have a chance, I want to take part again next year and try to level up to a marathon," he said.

The actions of residents along the route was also appreciated by Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, who took part in the race to finish in 3 hours, 22 min. "The community's response was extraordinary. The students welcomed us; the community also participated in the various performances that were presented -- there were art, culture and more. Hopefully, the Borobudur Marathon will truly belong to the people of Borobudur, Magelang and its surroundings. This event belongs to them," said Ganjar who participated with his wife, Siti Atikoh.

Deputy General Chairman of Kompas Daily Budiman Tanuredjo said, overall, this year's Borobudur Marathon was running smoothly.

Borobudur Marathon, according to him, is an event that was born from mutual cooperation and collaboration of various parties. The success of this year's event has made all parties involved optimistic that they can hold a quality event that is not only national class, but also international, in the future.