Continuing the Go Sweat Go Ion campaign which started back in October 2013, POCARI SWEAT held the POCARI SWEAT Run Jakarta 2014 on 11 May 2014 in Alam Sutera.
Bringing on the theme #SAFERUNNING, POCARI SWEAT encouraged Indonesians to run safely and in a proper way to gain optimal benefits, as well as avoid possible injury. No less than 5,000 runners participated in this competition, which consisted of 3 distances: 2.5km which was closed for students, and 5km and 10km which were open to the public.
According to POCARI SWEAT Product Marketing Manager Ivan Tigana,
“Running is now one of the most popular sports in Indonesia. This is no more evident than in the growing number of running competitions being held and the amount of people participating in 2013. Sadly, only a few pay attention to the importance of utilising proper running technique and adequate preparations prior to competing.”
Sharing #SAFERUNNING Knowledge in Schools and Communities
As a form of education for #SAFERUNNING, POCARI SWEAT held a series of fringe activities, including School Run Clinics which was held in 11 schools and joined by 1,422 students, as well as Community Run Clinics which was held in 8 running communities and joined by more than 600 runners, the likes of whom received tips on how to run properly and best prepare for a competition.
POCARI SWEAT also held the Runners Camp on 29 March, in which representatives from running communities in Jakarta and Bandung came together with contestants who have registered for POCARI SWEAT Run Jakarta 2014. Participants were encouraged to share their knowledge about what they learned during the camp and the importance of #SAFERUNNING when participating in competitive running to avoid injury resulting from incorrect technique or improper conditioning.
Medical and Sports Doctor Hario Tilarso also advised,
“When competing, contestants must maintain vigilance in their preparations so they can perform well and maximize their results. Though it will only be 10km, 5km, or even 2.5km, it is important for those who haven’t participated in sports for some time to train on a regular basis and exercise, as well as pay attention to their diet,”
“If they do not have enough time to train properly, the very least that they can do is keep themselves hydrated, because during sporting activities, our body continuously loses sugar and electrolytes. Losing 1-2% of our bodily fluid will reduce our performance by 10 percent, and it can even fall as far as 45% if our bodily fluids lose by only 2.5% of our weight. The most important thing to remember when participating in a sporting event is to keep hydrated to reduce the risk of suffering from the effects of dehydration, such as dizziness, heatstroke, cramping, and rhabdomyolysis,”
elaborated Dr. Hario.
RFID Video Retains the Fun Element
POCARI SWEAT hopes that through practicing #SAFERUNNING, runners will better understand the things they have to pay attention to, recognise the importance of proper training, and learn more about running so they will be able to participate in a sporting event.
To retain the excitement and fun element surrounding POCARI SWEAT Run Jakarta 2014, POCARI SWEAT provided RFID tags for people to show their support through a video uploaded to the official POCARI SWEAT website. This was later shown during the run, when the participant they supported passed an RFID sensor.
POCARI SWEAT also provided a consultation tent for the runners, with a panel of experts fielding questions. In the consultation tent, there were Mok Ying Ren, SEA Games Marathon gold medalist, a medical and sports doctor, Dr. Hario Tilarso and Matias Ibo, Sport Physiotherapist.
Not only did they give some tips to run safely for the runners, Mok Ying Ren and Dr. Hario also joined the race.
It was great to see people running safe and well hydrated! Stay tuned for RunSociety’s coverage on the Pocari Sweat Run Singapore, which is taking place on 8 June!
