The Tourism Study Program of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada (FIB UGM), organized a fun trail run titled “Nyigar Alas Watusigar” on Sunday (Oct. 12) in Watusigar, Gunungkidul, as part of a community service program.
The event, which drew hundreds of participants, featured two race categories of 7 km and 15 km. Runners came not only from Yogyakarta but also from other regions such as Magelang, Karanganyar, Klaten, and surrounding areas.
Dr. Mohamad Rachmadian Narotama, who chaired the organizing committee, explained that the event aimed to promote the Sembrani Watusigar Tourism Village through a contemporary and sustainable event format.
According to him, Watusigar has begun to gain recognition as a tourism village with cultural attractions and local products, but its market segment remains limited due to the specificity of its tourism products and relatively high prices for the general public.
“Through this event, Watusigar Village can become more widely known to the public,” said Dr. Narotama on Sunday (Oct. 12).
In addition to introducing Watusigar Village to a broader audience, the trail running event also targeted young outdoor running enthusiasts, successfully opening opportunities to attract new tourists with diverse interests.
“I am personally very pleased to see the enthusiasm of runners who came from various regions, and I truly appreciate the solidarity of the running communities that contributed to the success of this event,” he added.
Dr. Narotama expressed hope that this event would continue in the future and be managed more professionally to generate income for the local community.
“I hope the partnership built with running communities will continue and that similar events can be organized in the future with professional management,” he said.
The race route was designed by Rahmad Danaji, a representative of the Watusigar community, together with Muhammad Alif, a 2021 Tourism student at FIB UGM.
The event also received support from the management of Sembrani Tourism Village, Jangkrik Wesi, Desa Prima Melati Watusigar, HIMAPA, Sriharjo Forest Trail Run, partner running communities (Gunungkidul Runners, Gunungkidul Trail Runners, Clongop Academia, SruntalSruntul, Blusukan Runners, and Bantul Runners), the running community in general, as well as the Gunungkidul Tourism Office and the Watusigar Village Government.
The event was officially opened with the flag-off for the 7K and 15K categories by Giman, Head of Watusigar Village.
Giman expressed his appreciation for the organization of the fun trail run in Watusigar. The village government fully supported the event and hoped it could be held regularly to promote local tourism potential.
“We hope this can become an annual agenda in the coming years at the Sembrani Tourism Village,” said Giman.
Author: Leony
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photographs: Watusigar Fun Trail Run