Four Buleleng Students Complete 8km March with Worn-Through Socks

Four students from SDN 1 Sari Mekar, Buleleng, were visibly exhausted after completing an 8-kilometre marching competition to celebrate the 81st Anniversary of Indonesian Independence on Tuesday. Resting at the GOR Buana Patra complex in Singaraja, they occasionally massaged their sore feet, yet their faces beamed with pride at having crossed the finish line.

Their struggle was far from ordinary. Along the route, the four students had to continue marching after losing one of their shoes. Their socks eventually developed holes from constant friction with the asphalt. Despite the stinging pain in their feet and the scorching sun, they chose to persevere to keep their team intact until the finish.

One of the students, Komang Aris Sedana Arta, lost his shoe after it was accidentally stepped on by a teammate while passing through Jalan Erlangga, Singaraja. Without time to put it back on, Aris kept marching to the commander’s orders. From that point, one of his feet was only protected by a sock, which eventually tore and left his sole exposed. “They gave me ice and aloe vera. It will probably hurt more tomorrow,” he said shyly while massaging his foot.

Aris was not alone. Putu Agus Aditya, Kadek Cantika Merta Dewi, and Kadek Gita Yusiana faced similar ordeals. After the race, they sat massaging their feet and resting. The pain, fatigue, and heat could not break their determination to finish the competition together.

The school’s physical education teacher, Ketut Catur Mahaputra, admitted he had reminded the students not to push themselves if they could not continue. The school had prepared reserve participants, but the four students chose to endure. “I told them they could drop out if they were not strong enough because I was worried about blisters. We had reserves, but substituting them would mean disqualification. The children proved to be very strong. I was worried at several points when four participants fell out of formation. Their spirit was incredible. I initially doubted they could finish, but they all completed the race,” he said.

The students’ struggle moved the school principal, Nyoman Satriarta. Throughout the race, he, along with teachers and parents, closely monitored the participants’ condition. “We were anxious from the start. Just one kilometre in, the weather was already extremely hot. We kept checking whether everyone could endure until the finish. When they completed the race, the teachers and parents were truly touched. The most important thing for us is that all the children finished safely,” he stated.

Satriarta explained that SDN 1 Sari Mekar regularly participates in the independence day marching competition. However, the main goal is not to chase victory but to instil discipline, teamwork, fighting spirit, and patriotism in the students. “We always participate as a form of involvement. From the beginning, we did not target a championship. Winning is a bonus. The most important thing is that the children learn not to give up, to work together, and to have a spirit of patriotism,” he explained.

Before the competition, the school held an internal selection involving 21 students. From this, 17 core participants and four reserves were chosen. All participants were from grades 4, 5, and 6 and had undergone regular training since early July. Despite more than a month of practice, the challenges on race day were far greater than anticipated. Satriarta noted that this was the first time students had to finish the race with missing shoes and socks worn through by the asphalt. “This never happened during training. But during the race, some lost their shoes and their socks got holes. Yet they remained enthusiastic and did not give up until the finish line. That is what makes us proud,” he concluded.

For SDN 1 Sari Mekar, the struggle of these four students proved that the meaning of Independence Day is not solely about being the fastest or winning. More than that, the courage to keep moving despite the pain, to support one another in a team, and to never give up until the finish line is a valuable lesson about the true fighting spirit.

The 8km primary school marching competition was participated in by 123 teams. The committee prepared prizes worth IDR 58.5 million for the winners. The first-place winner received a trophy, a certificate, and IDR 15 million in prize money; second place received IDR 12.5 million; third place received IDR 10 million; while the fourth, fifth, and sixth place winners received IDR 8 million, IDR 7 million, and IDR 6 million respectively.

The race route started from GOR Bhuana Patra, heading to Jalan Ngurah Rai, Jalan Pramuka, Jalan Diponegoro, Jalan Erlangga, Jalan Imam Bonjol, Jalan Veteran, Jalan Pahlawan, Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, Jalan Ahmad Yani, Jalan Dewi Sartika Selatan, Jalan Udayana, and finished back at the west gate of GOR Bhuana Patra.

Buleleng Vice Regent Gede Supriatna, who opened and released the primary school march, said in his speech that the event was not merely a competition but also a means of character building for the younger generation through discipline, a spirit of learning, and nationalism. “I remind all young people to develop themselves through learning and discipline, grounded in the spirit of ’45. Let us unite our movements and steps in building so that the nation’s ideals, a just and prosperous society, can be achieved,” Supriatna said.