Getting Ready to Explore the Beauty of Semarang while Running

Participants in the Semarang 10K race will enjoy exotic routes along the streets of Semarang. Traveling while enjoying cuisine has become the main agenda of the runners from out of town.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Two women pass through the route plan for the Semarang 10K Powered by Isoplus participants who will pass through a number of roads, one of which is in the Kota Lama area, Semarang City, Central Java, Friday (16/12/2022).

The atmosphere of the Weeskamer building in the Kota Lama (Old Town) area of Semarang, Central Java, looked lively on Friday (16/12/2022). Runners who took part in the Semarang 10K Powered by Isoplus race were seen going back and forth to pick up race packs and other competition equipment.

In one of the rooms, Welly Susanto (46) along with his wife and son were posing for photos while showing their shirt numbers in front of the 360 degree camera provided by the committee. After seeing the photos, they smiled happily.

In the Semarang 10K race which is held on Sunday (18/12), Welly will run with his wife and son. "Because I run with my family, I don't have a specific time target," said the runner from Semarang.

Also read: Runners Meeting in the Semarang 10k Track

For Welly, running in Semarang is always fun. Moreover, the 10 kilometer Semarang 10K route will pass through a number of iconic and exotic areas or places, such as Lawang Sewu, Tugu Muda, Simpang Lima, Gedangan Church, Mberok Bridge and Semarang Old Town.

Semarang 10K is held in collaboration with the Semarang City Government (Pemkot), Kompas daily and Isoplus. The competition has been held since 2018. But in 2020 and 2021 the competition was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Henri (38), a runner from the Semarang DJP Runners community, was also enthusiastic about participating in the Semarang 10K. In fact, Henri hopes to achieve a personal best or a personal record in this race.

In the past, the Kota Lama area was not as busy as it is now, it was still quiet and the lighting in some of the alleyways was minimal.

"This is the second time I have participated in the Semarang 10K after 2019. My impression is that the event is good, neat, the water stations (drinking posts) are abundant and the route is comfortable," said Henri.

One of the founders of the Fakerunners Semarang community, Vita Mahaswari, said that this year, the Semarang 10K route would pass the beautiful Kota Lama area of Semarang. The route is considered good for refreshing and it can inspire the enthusiasm of the runners who pass through.

“In the past, the Kota Lama area was not as busy as it is now, it was still quiet and the lighting in some of the alleyways was minimal. So, it was a little bit scary to run in that area. Now in every alley there are new cafes, so it's crowded. There's also more street lighting, so you feel safe when running in that area," said Vita.

Culinary delights

Meanwhile, runners from outside the city have more motivation when participating in the Semarang 10K. In addition to enjoying the view of the heritage buildings along the track, several runners have also prepared a list of culinary delights they want to enjoy.

Risa Hartanto (41), a runner from Sidoarjo, East Java, acknowledged that he really wanted to enjoy running among the cultural heritage buildings in the Kota Lama of Semarang. "In 2018 and 2019, I took part in the Semarang 10K. This year I will take part again because I feel comfortable with the route that passes through the heritage area in Kota Lama," said the head of the Sidoarjo Delta Runners community.

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Some of the running participants took photos with one of the Semarang 10K Powered by Isoplus icons in the Kota Lama area, Semarang City, Central Java, Friday (16/12/2022).

Risa along with dozens of other runners from Delta Runners Sidoarjo have also prepared a list of culinary delights to eat in Semarang. The list of culinary spots include Soto Bokoran, Koh Liem Asem Asem Restaurant on Jalan Karanganyar, Lumpia Mataram and Yudistira Petis Tahu.

Widi Prasetiyo (30) from the ISO Mlayu community, Surabaya, was interested in taking part in the Semarang 10K because the competition offered interesting views along the route. “Mostly, we from ISO Mlayu want to run happily so we can enjoy this competition. He said the participants would run in the middle of the city of Semarang with beautiful views," said Widi.

Semarang is good for a fun walk in the middle of the city, friendly for pedestrians, beautiful scenery and delicious food.

Widi, who took part in the Semarang 10K with eight of his friends, acknowledged that he did not have a detailed plan for traveling or enjoying culinary delights in Semarang. However, he said that he really wanted to enjoy Semarang's special spring rolls.

"Semarang is good for a fun walk in the middle of the city, friendly for pedestrians, beautiful scenery and delicious food," he said.

Reunions

Dede Purnomo (28), a runner from Banyumas, Central Java, said he wanted to enjoy the Semarang 10K event to stay in touch and get together with fellow runners from various cities. Dede wants to achieve a personal best with a target time of less than 45 minutes. "I've been practicing quite a bit," said the member of the Banyumas Runners community.

Puguh Rumanto (33) from Kendos Running community, Surabaya, also plans to take part in the Semarang 10K while visiting a number of relatives and acquaintances. "Running events like this is also good for reunions with friends," he said.

Kompas daily’s event manager Sri Aswito Zainul said that the total number of the Semarang 10K reached 2,100 people, consisting of 2,000 runners in the 10 km category and 100 runners in the Kids Dash category.

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Aswito explained, the Semarang 10K was expected to be the closing competition for the running community in Indonesia for the year. He said the race route was also relatively flat so that the participants had potential to win a personal best.

"We are working with the Semarang city government, the transportation agency and the police to make the Semarang 10K race route sterile," said Aswito.

The acting mayor of Semarang, Hevearita Gunaryanti Rahayu, hoped that the Semarang 10K race would have a multiplier effect on the economy in Semarang city. Runners from outside the city are expected not only to come to compete, but also to enjoy tourism, the culinary delights and shopping for souvenirs in the city of Semarang.

"We hope the runners can stay longer to enjoy the city of Semarang, so that businesses here ranging from tourism and cuisine to lodging businesses can be blessed and get a boost," said Hevearita.

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.