“The SangiRun Night Trail is a creative method of utilizing cultural sites. This activity is conducted to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the designation of the Sangiran Cultural Conservation Site as one of the world heritages by the UN agency UNESCO," Director General of Culture at the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry, Hilmar Farid, stated during an online media briefing in Jakarta, Thursday.
The UNESCO established Sangiran as a World Cultural Heritage Number 593 in 1996, with the name "The Sangiran Early Man Site."
Farid remarked that the event was not just about running, but it also showed the human ability to adapt to an environment, which is still relevant until today.
"The narrative built through this event is that people in the past (ancient humans) once lived in Sangiran, during which most of their activities involved the physical aspect," he explained.
Apart from commemorating the 25th anniversary of the site being a world heritage, the event is also expected to introduce the Sangiran Site to the wider community for drawing acknowledgement and praises. It would educate the people, especially regarding the process of human evolution. Additionally, the Sangiran site can boost welfare of the nearby community through promoting cultural tourism.
Chairman of the SangiRUN Night Trail 2021 committee, Andre Donas, noted that the 25-kilometer track will be adorned with torches along the way, with light installations at certain points, such as the start and finish. Forest video mapping and ornaments illustrating the evolution of early humans will also be displayed on the track.
The SangiRUN Night Trail, scheduled on November 20-21, 2021, and is divided into three main events. The first is an inter-community running competition that will involve 25 elite runners. Second, a competition of 75 regular runners in which celebrities and influencers will partake. The third event is a donation event in the form of purchasing one thousand works of the home industry as well as assistance allocation for the elderly living around the Sangiran site area.
“In this activity, we also involve villages near the running track. The villages will display cultural attractions for the runners,” Donas added.
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Translator: Indriani, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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