Running Events as Sport Tourism Destinations in Indonesia

General Overview of Running Events as Sport Tourism in Indonesia

• Context and Objectives: The presentation, delivered by Fahmi, focuses on running events as an emerging and significant sector of sport tourism in Indonesia. The primary objectives of the lecture are twofold:

  • To provide a general overview of running events as sport tourism destinations within the Indonesian context.
  • To provide a detailed case study regarding the Marathon as a specific sport tourism event, particularly within the context of a UNESCO World Heritage destination.

• Linkage and Theoretical Scope: The lecture explores the connections between various factors in the sport tourism experience:

  • Travel motives
  • Destination image
  • Participant satisfaction
  • Revisit intentions for marathon participation, specifically in heritage-rich locations.

• Growth of Running Tourism: Running is identified as one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global sport tourism market. In Indonesia, this growth has been exponential over the last decade, with marathons serving as central attractions or destinations in their own right.

• World Record Context: The speaker highlights the global popularity of marathons by referencing recent achievements, such as "Sebastian Sawyer" (likely a reference to Kelvin Kiptum) breaking the world record at the London Marathon with a time of $1:59:30$. This achievement reinforces the global and local interest in the $42.195\,\text{km}$ distance.

• World Major Marathons: The speaker notes seven prestigious marathons recognized globally, including those in Sydney, London, Chicago, New York, Berlin, and Tokyo. This sequential participation in prestigious marathons is a trend observed among international marathon commuters.

Contextual Setting of Indonesia

• Geography and Climate:

  • Indonesia is an archipelago nation located in Southeast Asia, situated between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
  • It is approximately a seven-hour flight from Auckland, New Zealand.
  • The nation consists of roughly $17,000$ islands, with major landmasses including Java, Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi, and Papua.
  • The climate is tropical with warm temperatures year-round, making it a viable destination for outdoor, water-based, and weather-dependent sports.
  • Natural features include volcanoes, rainforests, coral reefs, and extensive coastlines, all of which support adventure and sport tourism.

• Culture and Demographics:

  • The official language is Bahasa Indonesia, though hundreds of regional languages are spoken throughout the archipelago.
  • Indonesia has the largest Muslim community globally, but recognizes several diverse belief systems and ethnicities, contributing to a rich cultural landscape.
  • Tourism attractions in Indonesia are divided between natural resources and cultural/heritage sites.

Data on Indonesian Running Events (Past 10 Years)

• Event Statistics: Data collected from "calendarlari.com" shows that in the past ten years (approximately 2014–2024), there were $3,700$ running events held in Indonesia.

  • This averages to more than $10$ events per month.
  • Events occurred in $36$ out of the $38$ provinces in Indonesia, demonstrating that running is popular almost everywhere in the country.

• Development Phases:

  • Expansion Phase (2017–2019): This was the pre-COVID period where the number of events grew significantly, hitting a peak in 2019 before the pandemic strike.
  • Stagnation and Recovery Phase (2020–2022): The pandemic caused a slowdown. Unlike New Zealand's long borders closure, Indonesia’s government only closed the nation for a few months. Sport events began returning in late 2020, though growth remained stagnant until 2022.
  • Stabilization and Shift (2023–2025): While the number of events has returned, there is a perceived stagnation in event quantity compared to 2019. This suggests a market shift from purely recreational participants to more competitive runners.

• Seasonality of Events: Events occur year-round with three primary periods of lower activity:

  1. Peak Rainy Season: January and February.
  2. Ramadan: During the month of fasting, physical activity typically decreases.
  3. Domestic School Holidays: While tourism is high, running event schedules may adjust during this peak domestic travel period.

Geographical Concentration and Key Destinations

• The Dominance of Java Island: Running events are most concentrated on the island of Java due to its immense population density.

  • East Java: Hosted $651$ events in the last decade and has a population of approximately $42,000,000$.
  • Other major hubs include Jakarta, West Java (Bandung), and Central Java.

• Specific Major Marathon Destinations:

  • Jakarta: The capital city has high participation rates, with an estimated $26,000$ participants in the 2025 marathon cycle—roughly half the size of the London Marathon's $50,000$–$80,000$ field.
  • Bandung: Known for its large student population and creative economy culture. Its demographic profile influences the nature of sport tourism there.
  • Bali: A world-renowned tourism destination that has seen approximately $140,000$ competitive participants in running events over the last ten years.
  • Lombok (Pocari Sweat Run): Targeted as family-friendly, offering distances from $5\,\text{km}$ to $21\,\text{km}$ ($\text{half-marathon}$) with lower barriers to entry.
  • Yogyakarta: The cultural capital of Indonesia. The marathon routes pass through historic sites such as the Kraton (Royal Palace) and various temple complexes. It is heavily sponsored by Bank Mandiri.
  • Borobudur: Focused on heritage-driven tourism, utilizing the UNESCO World Heritage site as the event backdrop.

Case Study: Borobudur Temple and Heritage Marathon

• Destination Profile: Borobudur Temple is described as a site of serenity and spiritual experience. It is one of Indonesia's largest cultural attractions, featuring:

  • A unique walking experience where history is viewed in chronological order by walking in a clockwise direction.
  • Extensive historical art collections and local delicacies.
  • Visual serenity termed "conquered heaven" and "genuine tranquility."

• The Participant Experience: The Borobudur Marathon is not just for competitive international athletes; it is designed for recreation.

  • The community gets involved: The organizer provides financial support to local schools so students can dress in traditional costumes and support runners along the route.
  • This provides a unique "heritage destination image" for the participants.

• Research Dimensions: The study analyzed the link between heritage and sport through several dimensions:

  • Heritage Destination Image: Focused on historical background, entertainment value, and efficiency.
  • Heritage Travel Motives: Categorized into emotional experience, recreational experience, and educational/cultural experience.

Research Methodology and Results

• Quantitative Study Analysis:

  • A total of $385$ questionnaires were completed by marathon participants.
  • $348$ valid responses were utilized for the final study.
  • Data analysis was performed using SmartPLS 3 software to establish connections between constructs, satisfaction, and revisit intention.

• Key Findings:

  • The majority of respondents were from the middle class and resided on Java Island.
  • Most participants categorized themselves as recreational runners rather than professional athletes.
  • Motivation Differences: Participants primarily motivated by sport were more likely to revisit based on their satisfaction with the event itself. Participants primarily motivated by heritage were more influenced by the destination image.

• Limitations: The sample size of approximately $380$ participants provides a general overview but remains relatively small for a comprehensive national profile of Indonesia.

Questions & Discussion

• Question (Audience): What was the personal motivation behind conducting this specific research on running and Indonesia?
• Response (Fahmi): The motivation was both personal and professional. Personally, the speaker began running after the COVID-19 pandemic to pursue a healthier lifestyle. Professionally, as a tourism researcher, understanding travel behavior and motivation provides deeper insights into how the tourism industry works. Additionally, the speaker lives only a few hours away from these specific destinations, providing them with valuable local knowledge that facilitated the research.