Palu (ANTARA News) - Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola flagged off participants of the 2018 Central Celebes Marathon (CCM) in the Central Sulawesi provincial capital of Palu on Sunday.

"Please abide by the existing regulations," the governor told the participants of the marathon.

The CCM is a sports tourism event to commemorate the 54th anniversary of Central Sulawesi Province that falls on Apr 13.

Some 1,500 athletes, including 80 foreign runners among others from Kenya, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, participated in the marathon race.

They competed in five-kilometer, 10-kilometer, 21-kilometer, and 42-kilometer categories with total prizes amounting to Rp465 million.

For, the 21 km-long category, the participants started from the Central Sulawesi City Hall and finished in the same site after circling the city.

Deputy Chief of the Central Sulawesi Provincial Police Senior Commissioner Aris Purnomo flagged of participants of 42 km-long category one hour earlier than the 21 km-long category.

The 2018 CCM aimed to promote the culinary, nature, and marine tourism of Central Sulawesi.

The participants were entertained with 13 custom and cultural attractions along the race route, a cheering spot with two thousand students gathering along the track to encourage the participants, and 30 free culinary spots for attendees and spectators.

The CCM is a challenging event in which participants trek along mountains, valleys, rivers, and beaches, finally finishing at a location that holds traditional and cultural festivals as well as traditional culinary delights for the visitors and participants alike.

Central Sulawesi, the largest province on Sulawesi (Celebes) island, received 57,461 foreign tourists and 3,019,448 domestic tourists in 2016.

Celebes is the former name of Sulawesi, one of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world`s eleventh-largest island, situated between Kalimantan (Borneo) and the Maluku Islands.

Reporter: Fauzi
Editor: Andi Abdussalam
Copyright © ANTARA 2018