Over the weekend, an international marathon took place in the beautiful Indonesian resort island, Bintan, which took in participations from over 3,000 participants from over 35 countries across five categories. From first-timers to running enthusiasts, there is something for everyone at the Mandiri Bintan Marathon this year:
Race pack:
In addition to the 21km Half Marathon and 42km Full Marathon categories for seasoned runners, the crowd favourite 10km category made a comeback this year by popular demand. Industry watchers had their eyes on the new 42km Full Marathon Elite category, introduced to challenge elite runners from around the region who have a shorter qualifying time. Another new category – the 3km Family Run – was introduced this year to foster family unity by running together. Open to parents/guardians and children aged 4 to 12, this non-competitive fun run category included various carnival games throughout the race route, making it more exciting for the little ones.
The five categories, spanning over two days, attracted more than 3,000 participants from over 35 countries with the oldest participant aged 75 years old from Singapore. The top three countries with the most participants are Indonesia, Singapore and China. Top runners walk away with attractive cash prizes totaling up to SGD100,000 (IDR 1 billion).
“Being able to run amidst nature, away from the cityscape is truly a very refreshing change. I had taken part in the marathon last year and it was an awesome run. That’s why I am back this year to participate in the 21km category. I have been training regularly for this run and hope to clock a good timing tomorrow,” shared Jenny Huang, 46, a Mandiri Bintan Marathon’s ambassador who is from Singapore.
This year, the Marathon also coincides with Singapore’s September school holidays. This gave not only individuals but also families with children, the opportunity to extend their stay to enjoy a run-cation in Bintan.
This is the second year the same organiser put together the Bintan Marathon and I got to know about it this year. The event was perfect for my son Asher and I as we were able to combine a holiday getaway with our regular weekend running routine. Asher and I participated together in the 3km family fun run on Saturday and I went on to run the 21km half marathon on Sunday. Both of us enjoyed our runs very much and had a great stay at the official hotel partner, Bintan Lagoon Resorts:
Making our way to Bintan island via ferry transfer from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal:
For runners participating in the event, official hotel partners like Bintan Lagoon Resorts provide shuttle bus services from the hotel to the Race Village at Lagoi Plaza where the Start and Finish points are.
Lagoi Plaza:
Our room at Bintan Lagoon Resorts:
The running routes were mostly on flat terrains on wide roads which made it easy to navigate. The family run featured several engaging game stations like a bouncy caste, a “The Floor is Lava” pitstop, among other obstacles to foster family interactions.
Photos taken during the 3km Family Run:
Photos I took during the 21km Half Marathon Run:
I like runs like this on small islands where you get to experience and enjoy the scenery during the run. The last run I did which was similar to the Bintan Marathon was the Samui Half Marathon by Bangkok Airways at Ko Samui, Thailand last year.
Bintan island is ideal for an event like this due to the close proximity to Singapore and the ease of travel by ferry. There are also sufficient, solid tourism infrastructures to support the surge in visitorship during the race weekend.
“We are heartened to see such a great turnout for our Mandiri Bintan Marathon. This year, we wanted to expand our reach to include people across all ages. We wanted families to join also and turn this into a run-cation where they could burn some calories and enjoy some quality bonding time just a 60 minutes ferry ride away from Singapore. So, we are glad to see many parents signing up with their little ones for our new 3km Family Run. We are also excited for our first-timers who will be challenging themselves with our popular 10km category and we hope to see many of these faces again at next year’s Marathon too,” shared Mr Abdul Wahab, PT Bintan Resort Cakrawala Group General Manager.
“Coming on board as the inaugural title sponsor of Mandiri Bintan Marathon solidifies Mandiri Bank’s aim to elevate the awareness of curated healthy lifestyle habits and regular exercise for a better quality of life. This also cements Mandiri Bank’s commitment to proactively be involved in the development of Indonesia’s tourism sector. We give our full support to communities, industries and sectors that are putting our country on the world map as a prominent well-known international sports tourism destination,” shared Mr Isnaeni Subekti, Mandiri Bank, Government Business Head, Regional 1.
The Marathon is organised by Bintan Resorts, PT Medianusa Permana and Singapore’s Orange Room, which has organised events in Singapore and across the region. Visit the official website for more information if you are interested to take part next year.
