The third BII Maybank Bali Marathon, hosted by one of the largest banks in Indonesia, PT Bank International Indonesia Tbk (BII), was held on 14th September in Gianyar, Bali. The theme for this year’s program was “Push Your Limit”, embodying the spirit of marathon running. Marathons are of increasing interest in Indonesia, as seen from participation in the BII Maybank Bali Marathon last year, which had more than 3,000 runners from countries across the world registering in the event.
This year, the marathon was divided into three categories; full, half and 10k marathons. Making the event more welcoming, a children’s sprint category was added, as well as a disabled category that saw 40 participants in wheelchairs take part in a 5k route. The full and half marathon categories both had the trusted International Measurement Certificate and were recognized by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS). The full marathon (42.195 km) was also noted in the official directory of the Boston Marathon, which itself is part of the World Major Marathons and is the oldest annual race.
This year saw 4,464 runners from 49 countries taking part, making the event one of the most successful and prominent sporting events held in Indonesia. In the Full Marathon Open category, Kennedy Kiproo Lilan from Kenya came in as the winner, while Elizabeth Jeruiyot Chemwen, also from Kenya, took first place for women in the same category. In the Full Marathon Indonesian category, Hamdan Saban took first place on the podium for men and Meri M Paijo won the women’s race.
Ensuring that a not-to-be-missed opportunity was taken, the marathon was designed to take place alongside BII’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program “BII Berbagi”, supporting community health and education. This year’s CSR program selected local schools in Gianyar to receive educational grants for their students.
The marathon routes are all located in Gianyar regency and the community has shown continuous support for the event. The grants were allocated to support local students enhance their non-academic skills, with BII providing 75 savings accounts for students with the best paintings, as well providing sports and art equipment for 27 schools located along the marathon route. Earlier, a painting competition had been held to select the 75 best paintings to receive the grants. A handover ceremony saw many students in the region take part in the event.
