Although The Number Of Participants Is Only 5,000 People, The 2022 Borobudur Marathon Has The Potential To Boost MSMEs To Awaken The Tourism Economy

One of the runners at the 2022 Borobudur Marathon.. (Photo: Doc. Antara/Yayasan Borobudur Marathon)

SEMARANG - Although the number of participants is limited to only 5,000 people, the 2022 Borobudur Marathon is still relatively high. The committee even noted that as many as 7,000 people wanted to register.

The number of participants was not only indicating the popularity of running sports in this country, but also gave hope that the Borobudur Marathon would provide economic reforestation to various lines (multiplier effects).

"This is an event that we have been waiting for, becoming our joint effort to be healthy not only in the body, but to restore the economy, social, including the social interaction of runners with the community," said Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, quoted by Antara, Sunday, September 25.

Sport tourism in the Borobudur Marathon is a space for the MSME sector around Borobudur Temple to develop the tourism economy.

Because it has various targets, the 2022 Borobudur Marathon took the theme Stronger to Victory, becoming stronger to advance to victory. This theme is a continuation of the theme in the previous year, namely the Symphony of Energy or the energy unit to move forward.

Although globally the COVID-19 pandemic has relatively subsided, the world to this day is still colored by turmoil that has an impact on economic and political uncertainty. This condition must also be faced as well as overcome by every nation, including Indonesia.

The Russia-Ukrania war, which has not yet been shown to end, has proven to be disrupting the global food supply chain and energy. Indonesia is feeling the impact of the increase in world energy prices with a energy subsidy burden that swelled to more than Rp500 trillion in 2022.

The increase in fuel prices is feared to have an impact on the growth of the MSME business, which is the most important pillar of the Indonesian economy. Not to mention the threat of rising inflation due to fuel price adjustments.

Therefore, the Borobudur Marathon 2022 event became an important node of the big efforts of the Government of Indonesia to continue the trend of economic growth achieved in the second quarter of 2022 (year on year) of 5.44 percent. A high growth rate amid global uncertainty.

The presence of thousands of runners, not including family or colleagues invited by participants, in the Borobudur Temple area has economic levers around Borobudur. Star hotels, cottages, inns, restaurants, souvenir shops, and street vendors will get a proportional economic seepage from the event.

Assuming that each participant and his family spent Rp. 2 million (including lodging and transportation fees), at least there was money flowing and rotating Rp. 10 billion for 2 days the event took place. The amount is not small because of the incoming money, some of the profits will be diverted in the form of consumption, new investments, or additional business capital.

The new investment or additional capital will in turn absorb labor.

As a result, the Borobudur Marathon, which has been held for years, has not only given birth to the champions, but is also able to move the wheels of the economy of the citizens faster.