Minister: Marathon Events Strengthen Sports Tourism and Regional Economy

Youth and Sports Minister (Menpora) Erick Thohir has said that organising running competitions which blend sport and cultural tourism experiences is a strategic effort to strengthen sports tourism and boost regional economies in Indonesia. He made the remarks whilst opening the Mandiri Jogja Marathon 2026 at the Prambanan Temple complex on Sunday. According to the Minister, hosting such sports tourism events is one way to improve a region’s tourism ranking. “The Mandiri Jogja Marathon is very positive because, as we can see, Yogyakarta is one of the tourism hubs. From the rankings for foreign tourist visits, it is still in fourth place, with Bali in first place,” Erick said in a written statement. The Minister noted that in addition to promoting tourism based on culture and natural beauty, it is also necessary to encourage the implementation of sports tourism events. He therefore gave special appreciation for the organisation of the Mandiri Jogja Marathon, which this year entered its seventh edition. This was underscored by a significant increase in the number of runners year on year, with this year’s participants setting a record of 10,200 runners from 17 countries. “So this event is very positive. And I believe sports tourism not only makes our society healthy, but also drives the economic growth that is currently being strongly pushed by the President,” the Minister said. “That is why we need to develop new economies, one of which is sports tourism like this.” According to data from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, although Indonesia’s population is demographically dominated by young people, sports participation still stands at only 17 per cent. “This means that with activities like these, and I see there are now 104 marathon events in Indonesia, with a total of nearly 10.6 million runners if I am not mistaken, it will certainly boost sports participation among people who have better accessibility to sport,” Erick said. The Minister added that his ministry is currently promoting the implementation of Car Free Days (CFD) across all regencies and cities in order to cultivate a sporting culture within the community. Out of a total of 514 regencies and cities in Indonesia, currently only around 220 areas hold CFDs. “Hopefully, with Car Free Day, people can start practising walking and jogging, and eventually take part in marathons like this,” the Minister said. The Mandiri Jogja Marathon 2026 featured four category options: Marathon (42.195 kilometres), Half Marathon (21.097 kilometres), 10K, and a 5K Fun Run. With the theme ‘More Than a Race’, the sports tourism event combined an international-standard running competition with a tourism experience, cultural celebration, and a journey through Yogyakarta that delivers social impact.