GIANYAR - A total of 11,000 runners from within and outside the country took part in the Kemala Run 2026 event held at the Bali United Training Center in Gianyar, Bali, Sunday, to boost the tourism sector, as well as to grow the local economy.
The Head of the Race Management Section, Brigadier General Pol Sambodo Purnomo Yogo, when met at the location, said that the enthusiasm of the participants was very high, including from international and national runners who also enlivened the race.
"This event involves 11,000 runners, including international and national runners, so the competition is quite interesting," he said as quoted by Antara.
He explained that this year's race route was designed to be more challenging by presenting surprises for participants, especially towards the finish line.
"One of the surprises is the fairly steep climb at the end before the finish, which is known as the love climb. It is a classic route that we have maintained," he said.
According to him, the elevation design was deliberately made to add appeal and increase challenges for runners.
Apart from the sports aspect, the 2026 Kemala Run also involves local Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The committee provides a voucher worth Rp. 25,000 for each participant which can be exchanged at dozens of MSMEs outlets.
"We involve about 50 local MSMEs. Each runner gets a voucher of Rp. 25,000 which can be exchanged for food and drinks," he said.
With the number of participants reaching 11,000 people, the turnover of money from vouchers alone is estimated to reach hundreds of millions of rupiah, not including additional spending from participants.
"If multiplied, the value is almost hundreds of millions of rupiah just from vouchers. Not to mention other purchases at the location," he said.
More jauhia assessed that the presence of thousands of runners to Bali also had a significant economic impact, especially on the hospitality, culinary, and transportation sectors.
"Bali as a tourist destination is certainly benefited. If one participant spends Rp5 million to Rp10 million while in Bali, the impact is very large for the local economy," he said.
Kemala Run 2026, he said, is expected not only to be an annual sports agenda, but also to be able to encourage economic growth and strengthen Bali's position as a sports tourism destination of excellence.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
