The Emaar Lombok International Triathlon held in Lombok over the weekend of 8 and 9 November 2008 was a great success, with participants from twelve different countries, together with athletes from throughout Indonesia and locally, competing in the Triathlon.
Billed as the “toughest course in Asia”, the Emaar Lombok Triathlon consists of a 1.8 km swim, a 55 km bike ride and a 1.8 km run course. Centred around the Sheraton Senggigi Resort, major sponsors of the event, the triathlon showcases the beautiful scenery of Lombok with the swim being held on Senggigi Beach, the bike course covering the scenic Pusuk Pass and northwest beaches, and the run through the coconut grove along the beach at Kerandangan, just north of Senggigi.
The sports weekend kicked off on Saturday, 8 November with the 6 km Senggigi Run. Around 300 contestants competed in the fun run which started at the Sheraton Senggigi Resort at 4.30 pm.
The Senggigi Run basically comprises one lap of the 12 km run course of the Lombok Triathlon. Competitors run up the hill near the Sheraton, then down into Kerandangan, through the coconut grove alongside the beach, before puffing up the hill again and down into Senggigi to the finish line at the Sheraton.
Tribob Race Director, Matthe Vijverberg, said, “The Senggigi Run is a way of involving local people in the Triathlon and encouraging sports locally. Perhaps those who take part in the Senggigi Run this year will be competing in the Triathlon next year.”
Race winner, with a time of 17 min 36 seconds, was local athlete Yan Bahtiar, who also came second in the local division of the Lombok Triathlon held the next day. The youngest runner this year was 9 year old Adi Krisdianto who, while not in the top ten, successfully made it to the finish line.
Senggigi expat resident, Sid Blade, was the first western man over the finish line and there were also many competitors from the local division of the Lombok Hash House Harriers, together with local hotels and businesses.
Trophies were awarded to the first 3 men and 3 women to complete the Run. In addition, the first 10 Indonesian runners to finish received prize money and the first four women runners received a special bonus.
Then on Sunday, 9 November, around 100 competitors assembled on the beach at 7am to commence the first leg of the triathlon with the 1.8 km swim out into Senggigi Bay. Watched by a crowd of enthusiastic spectators, the swimmers completed two laps of the 900m swim before sprinting up the beach to the Sheraton, frantically shedding swimsuits before jumping on their racing bikes to get a head start on the gruelling 55 km bike course.
This year the biking event took the opposite route from last year, heading south from Senggigi to Meninting, then to Gunung Sari where the road winds north through the scenic forests of the Pusuk Pass and the monkey forest, before joining the coastal road at Pemenang. From there, the cyclists still had to conquer the many hills and bends that follow the stunning northwest coast back to Senggigi. For many this was the most challenging part of the triathlon – 55 kms of steep hills, with an ascent of 6 kms through the Pusuk Pass, counter-pointed with steep downhill runs and twisting hairpin bends. The heat and humidity also took their toll on cyclists who didn’t adequately plan drink breaks and refill bottles at the many drink stations posted along the route.
Exhausted and red-faced cyclists arrived at spaced intervals back at the Sheraton, leaping from bikes and grabbing a quick drink as they raced back to the road to start the last leg of the triathlon. The 6 km run was too much for some, with a short slope at the start before tackling the steep hill overlooking Senggigi Bay, then the swift descent into Kerandangan. The shade of the coconut grove and the breeze from the beach helped cool things down a little, but most runners were exhausted by the time they had completed the second 3 km lap back to the Sheraton, where they tried to put on a burst of speed to cross the finish line at last.
This year’s Triathlon Champion was James Easson from the United Kingdom, with a total race time of 3 hours and 24 minutes. Finishing 3 minutes behind James, in second place, was Michael Outhred from Australia and another 3 minutes later, local triathlete, Kadri, finished in third place.
The triathlon also featured the “Island Team Cup” which allowed teams of three competitors to complete each section of the triathlon, relay-style. Winner of the 2008 Team Cup was the MACA team.
Tribob, the triathlon organisers, said that 82 percent of the Lombok triathletes were professionals, managers, executives and entrepreneurs. At present, around 40% of the competitors are Indonesian nationals, but Tribob would like to see more local people getting involved, either individually or in teams for the Team Cup. “Like what happened last year, there are some companies who field their teams to join the triathlon as a team event – similar to a relay event,” Tribob Director, Nathalie Marquet said. “Perhaps they found that this event is beneficial to help build solid teams to achieve higher goals in their companies,” she added.
For many of those competing, the incentive wasn’t about winning trophies or prize money, but the challenge and personal satisfaction of completing such a tough course. The oldest participant in the race was Patsy Yan, a 64 year old regular triathlon competitor from Malaysia who finished the race in 5:17, while the youngest was 22 year old Juie Shetye, of Mumbai, India, with a race time of 5:51.
The enthusiasm of all competitors was probably summed up best by one of the male finalists who said, “I wanted a tough, challenging triathlon in a great location, so that I could torture myself and then relax afterwards in a beautiful peaceful place!”
Lombok, and Tribob, are keen to see more Indonesian residents, both nationals and expatriates, compete in next year’s triathlon. The triathlon is an international event and facilities are first class, with medical teams, professional organisation and the full support of the Lombok government and Hotels Association. If you would like to compete in the Lombok Triathlon or race in the Senggigi Run, or get a team together for the Team Cup relay event, visit the website at www.lomboktriathlon.com. See you next year!
