North Sumatra strengthens Lake Toba's position as a world sports tourism destination
Medan (ANTARA) - The province of North Sumatra is strengthening Lake Toba’s position as a world-class sports tourism destination following the hosting of the Trail of The Kings Lake Toba - Indonesia cross-country run.
“This is a momentum for North Sumatra to successfully host an international-level sport tourism event. The two-day activity proceeded smoothly,” said the Acting Regional Secretary of North Sumatra, Sulaiman Harahap, after presenting trophies to the winners of the Trail of The Kings Lake Toba - Indonesia at Waterfront City, Samosir Regency, North Sumatra, on Sunday.
He stated that the international-standard cross-country running event, which serves as part of the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) 2026 World Series, was conducted successfully.
The Trail of The Kings Lake Toba - Indonesia event featured six categories: 100 kilometres (100K), 60K, 28K, 10K, 5K, and a children’s category.
In the 100K category, runner Hiroyuki Matsuda from Japan recorded first place with a time of 12 hours, 45 minutes, and 22 seconds. Second place went to Indonesian runner Sobari Herdiana with a time of 13 hours, 02 minutes, and 26 seconds, while Priya Rai took third place with a time of 13 hours, 17 minutes, and 18 seconds.
For the 60K category, Indonesian runner Yusri Nanda was the fastest with a time of 7 hours, 30 minutes, and 17 seconds. Hardiman Purba took second place with 8 hours, 9 minutes, and 32 seconds, and Jiahan Ma from China finished third with a time of 8 hours, 46 minutes, and 25 seconds.
“We hope this event further introduces Lake Toba to the international community, while simultaneously strengthening its appeal as a leading sports tourism destination,” Sulaiman explained.
Hiroyuki Matsuda, the first-place winner of the 100K category, expressed his joy at winning the cross-country race as part of the UTMB 2026 World Series. He noted that the Trail of The Kings Lake Toba - Indonesia course was very challenging but provided an extraordinary experience.
“I am very happy; it was very challenging. However, I kept pushing and finally won. I am very pleased,” said Hiroyuki.
He also expressed being mesmerised by the beauty of Lake Toba, which spans over 1,145 square kilometres, and plans to participate in similar competitions in the future.
“I will come back here, and I will invite other people to join,” he said.
He also commended the successful organisation of this international event.
“I also praise the support of the local community, which contributed to the success of this activity,” added Hiroyuki.