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Labuan Bajo, October 29, 2022 – A total of 1,200 runners participated in the "IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022," held on Saturday (29/10) in Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Participants ranged from the youngest, aged 4, to participants from Europe, enthusiastically joining what is known as the marathon with the most challenging route and the most beautiful scenery.
The enthusiasm of the participants was evident in the composition of the runners who took part. Most participants came from the West Manggarai area, Kupang, and its surroundings, including middle and high school students. However, there were also participants from various regions in Indonesia, and even from abroad.
"From the beginning, we targeted participants from the local, national, and international communities in this marathon event, which also aims to promote tourism in Labuan Bajo. This was realized with high participation from NTT, as well as from Jakarta, Surabaya, and other regions, even from abroad such as the Netherlands, China, and Uzbekistan," explained the Chairman of the IFG Committee, Fitri Istanti.
Fitri added, in addition to the experience of running in Labuan Bajo, participants received personal protection facilities from insurance products in collaboration with IFG subsidiaries, including Jasindo's Travel Insurance, Jasaraharja Putera's Personal Accident Insurance, and IFG Life's Life Insurance.
In this inaugural Marathon event in Labuan Bajo, all participants gathered from 03:30 WITA at the starting point in front of Hotel Meruorah Komodo Labuan Bajo. They then competed on a route that circled Labuan Bajo. Running in Labuan Bajo’s natural terrain was no easy feat. The characteristic hilltop topography with an elevation of up to 608 meters above sea level, combined with hot weather, posed a particular challenge for the runners.
There were six categories in the "IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022": Marathon, Half Marathon, 10 kilometers (10K), 5 kilometers (5K), Ekiden, and Kids Dash. The marathon participants ran a distance of 42.195 kilometers, while the Half Marathon covered 21.1 kilometers. The release of participants for the Marathon and Half Marathon categories was done by the Deputy for HR and IT from the Ministry of SOEs, Tedi Bharata, at 04:45 WITA.
For the Ekiden category, participants ran a total of 20 kilometers in a relay format, with four participants (two men and two women), each running 5 kilometers as part of a team. Meanwhile, the Kids Dash category ran a distance of 100 meters, with the start at the Waterfront.
The 10K category participants were released by the Deputy Regent of West Manggarai, Dr. Yulianus Weng, at 05:30 WITA. The 5K and Ekiden categories were released at 05:45 WITA by the Chairperson of the "IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022" committee, Fitri Istanti, accompanied by the General Secretary of PB PASI, Tigor Tanjung, and the IFG Board of Directors. The Kids Dash category, which had the youngest participant, a 4-year-old named Amira, was released by the CEO of IFG Life, Harjanto Tanuwidjaja.
In the 10K category, Special Staff III of the Minister of SOEs, Arya Sinulingga, also participated. He stated that IFG received full support from the Ministry of SOEs for the "IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022" and hoped that this event would boost the local economy, especially during the economic recovery after two years of slowdown due to the pandemic.
"Indonesia has great potential for sport tourism, a concept that combines sports and tourism activities. One of the places is Labuan Bajo, as one of the Super Priority Destinations. Therefore, this event is expected to support the government's vision and mission to improve tourism in this region," he said.
Meanwhile, the CEO of IFG, Robertus Billitea, expressed that IFG, as the main sponsor of the IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon, hopes the event will positively impact the local economy in Labuan Bajo.
"The high number of participants in the IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon is expected to boost the local economy after the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, through the purchase of UMKM products, hotel occupancy, vehicle rentals, and local culinary," he said.
Furthermore, Robertus Billitea hoped that the high participation from local residents could foster new potential in middle- and long-distance running from NTT. "We hope this event can be a platform to identify young athletic talents from NTT who can compete nationally and internationally," he added.
Although it was held for the first time, the "IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022" strengthened optimism about sport tourism opportunities and accelerated economic growth in Labuan Bajo. The local government also hopes the event can be held again in 2023.
"I would like to congratulate the organization of the 'IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022.' We are grateful that the people of NTT now have a platform to hone their athletic abilities, and especially because this event has revived local tourism and the economy. We hope this event can be held annually with a wider range of participants," said the Deputy Regent of West Manggarai, Dr. Yulianus Weng.
Running on such a challenging terrain, Mesa Race, the event organizer, ensured that all participants received information about the route, weather, humidity, and road conditions.
"We have designed the route with careful consideration for the safety and comfort of the participants. Running with such challenges amidst these stunning views will be a remarkable achievement for the runners," said the CEO of MesaGo, Reza Puspo.
The winners of the Marathon Female Elite category were Oliva Sadi with a time of 4 hours 15 minutes 29 seconds, and the Male Elite category winner was Difta Ibrula Unbanu with a time of 3 hours 9 minutes 11 seconds. In the Male Open category, the winner was Sunardin with a time of 3 hours 31 minutes 30 seconds, and Male Master was won by Maulana Bachtiar with a time of 5 hours 4 minutes 20 seconds.
For the Half Marathon Female Elite, the winner was Afriana Paijo with a time of 1 hour 33 minutes 40 seconds. In the Male Elite Half Marathon category, Omry Sina won with a time of 1 hour 26 minutes 41 seconds. The Half Marathon Female Open was won by Delvita Lodia Bakun with a time of 1 hour 42 minutes 31 seconds, and the Male Open in the same category was won by Mardiyanto with a time of 1 hour 38 minutes 9 seconds. In the Female Master category, Bong Mariana won with a time of 2 hours 25 minutes 10 seconds, and for Male Master, Heri Suharsono won with a time of 1 hour 49 minutes 14 seconds.
In the 10K Female Elite category, the first-place winner was Irma Handayani with a time of 41 minutes 10 seconds, and for Male Elite, Marselino Fallo won with a time of 34 minutes 47 seconds. In the same category, the Female Open was won by Sunarti with a time of 42 minutes 4 seconds, and Male Open by Oktovianus Talo with a time of 36 minutes 26 seconds. The Female Master winner in this category was Debby Meylia with a time of 47 minutes 23 seconds, while the Male Master winner was Apriarto Muktiadi with a time of 41 minutes 4 seconds.
In the 5K category, the first-place winner in Female Elite was Yance Emilda Tasuab with a time of 21 minutes 44 seconds, and in Male Elite, Sardyanus Sanam won with a time of 18 minutes 32 seconds. The Female Open category was won by Rachel Christabelle Sual with a time of 33 minutes 3 seconds, and the Male Open category was won by Sikito Soares with a time of 18 minutes 30 seconds. In the Female Master category, the first-place winner was Isabel Putri Yahya with a time of 38 minutes 15 seconds, and in the Male Master category, Arnoldus Wea won with a time of 25 minutes 40 seconds.
For the student category, the Female 5K winner was Fransiska Tobong with a time of 29 minutes 38 seconds, and the Male winner was Paulinus Ratu with a time of 21 minutes 50 seconds. In addition to receiving prize money, the students also received educational scholarships.
PASI welcomed the emergence of new national running talents and was optimistic that, under proper training, these winners could continue to excel in the future.
"For a long time, NTT has produced talented runners who have made Indonesia proud. The 'IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022' has reopened the door for potential runners to be trained into professional athletes and compete nationally and internationally," said PASI General Secretary, Tigor Tanjung.
The "IFG Labuan Bajo Marathon 2022" event concluded with entertainment by local and national artists on Saturday night.