Organizers promise a fun run for all in Jakarta International 10K
Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The 6:30 a.m. start time may be a bit too early for those bleary-eyed souls who have partied Saturday night away, but organizers of the Jakarta International 10K want big crowds lining the streets on Sunday.
They are promising the opportunity to see some of the world's top road racers in action.
"We are hoping for as many people as possible to come out to watch these elite runners," Athletics Association of Indonesia (PASI) secretary-general Tigor Tanjung said on Thursday.
He pointed to the popularity of 10Ks throughout the world, from Manchester to New Orleans, Doha to Lisbon, for competitors and spectators.
"The 10K event is not only good for runners, because nearly anybody can run that distance given a few days' preparation, but it's also fun for the spectators as it takes about an hour for it to finish."
Titled "A Run for Enjoy Jakarta", the event, as with the Indonesia Open golf tournament earlier this year, is part of the city government's efforts to show Jakarta as a welcoming, hospitable city despite security issues in recent years. It is held in conjunction with the 478th anniversary of the founding of the capital.
PASI has invited a total of 32 international runners for the main race, including Tanzania's Martin Sulle in the men's event and Leah Malot in the women's, along with thousands more local residents registered in the national, open and student categories.
"By inviting the top runners, and their willingness to come here, we are showing that the travel warnings of certain countries have not detracted from the appeal of the event or the city," Tigor said.
The Jakarta International 10K dates back 18 years to a run held in Bali. Known as the Bob Hasan 10K Run, it featured an offer of US$1 million from PASI chief Mohamad "Bob" Hasan to any male or female athlete who could break the world record.
The race, also part of an effort to drum up tourism for the country, was moved after three years to Borobudur temple in Magelang, Central Java.
It was relocated to Jakarta in 1993, with the run held in the area of Senayan, Central Jakarta. Ethiopian Addis Abebe finally took Hasan's money by setting a new world record of 27:40 in January 1993, his third of four triumphs in the race.
With the goal of a world record already achieved, PASI took a secondary role in the organization of the event after 1994, although other 10K runs continued in the capital. In 2003, after the Bali bombings of the previous October, PASI was enlisted once again to secure participation of international runners were invited back to compete amid a revived tourist drive.
Tigor said several foreign runners praised the course last year as the best they had encountered, thanks to use of the then newly inaugurated TransJakarta busway lanes.
Although there is no million-dollar package on offer this year, the men's and women's winners will each receive $11,000. Under the right conditions, and if the morning is not too hot and humid, the top runners may come close to the current world records, Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie's 27:01 for men and Britain's Paula Radcliffe's 30:21 for women.