Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026: Running for Peace, Planting for the Earth
By: Francelino Xavier Ximenes Freitas
-Editor-in-Chief, SINARTIMUR.co.id
-Chairman, SMSI (Indonesian Cyber Media Association), Buleleng Regency
-Alumnus, San Diego State University (SDSU), San Diego, California, USA
“Run in the Paddy Fields, Peace Earth: A Ritual of 1,000 Steps for Mother Earth”
More Than Just a Race
There are running races focused on chasing record times. Then there are running events that invite people to pause, become mindful of their steps, and ask: why do we run?
The Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 offers a different answer. This event is not merely about sport or a competition to determine the fastest runner. More than that, it is designed as a movement of awareness—a “Walking Prayer” to foster peace, preserve nature, and promote village well-being.
Inspired by Sri Chinmoy’s message, “Peace begins with one step,” every stride in the Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 is imbued with meaning as a step toward a more peaceful and sustainable life.
From the village of Sudaji—in the highlands of Bali—it is hoped that these small steps will become a light radiating a message of peace to the entire world.
Three Pillars: Beautiful, Unique, and Compassionate
The Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 carries three core messages that form the soul of the event.
1. Beautiful Without Plastic
Village beauty does not require single-use plastic waste.
A zero-waste concept is central to this event. Participants are encouraged to bring their own reusable bottles, while finisher medals are crafted from eco-friendly materials such as wood or bamboo.
The message is simple yet powerful: a village can remain clean, beautiful, and free from single-use plastic waste if all elements of the community commit to it together.
This movement also serves as a message to local and village governments that environmental change can begin with simple habits practiced consistently.
2. Uniqueness Through the Organic
Sudaji possesses a wealth that concrete cannot replicate: its soil, gardens, rice fields, *subak* (traditional irrigation systems), and the agrarian lifestyle of its people.
Consequently, the running route will wind through residents’ organic gardens and along *subak* footpaths. The “Run & Plant” concept is also incorporated, featuring tree-planting activities along the course.
The message conveyed to the agricultural world is that village self-reliance and economic growth can flourish from healthy soil, without the need to rely on polluting synthetic chemicals.
For the younger generation, this serves as an invitation to view agriculture not as a relic of the past, but as an integral part of the future.
3. Prioritizing Compassion
At the Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026, there is no competition to finish first.
Everyone who completes the course will be honored as a “peace winner.”
Children, the elderly, seasoned runners, and participants simply wishing to soak up the village atmosphere all stand on equal footing. After all, in a peace movement, the priority is not who is fastest, but who is willing to take steps together.
This is the message intended for Bali’s leaders: the future of sports and tourism can be built upon universal values—brotherhood, compassion, and environmental sustainability.
6 Kilometers to Embody *Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali*
The 6-kilometer route of the Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 is designed to be more than just an athletic track. It serves as a space to translate the values of *Nangun Sat Kerthi Loka Bali* into tangible action at the village level.
It represents a form of *yadnya* (sacred offering/service) by the government—manifested through village-level action: moving, running, planting, and nurturing.
*Atma Kerthi*: Purifying the Soul
Before the starting flag drops, participants are invited to join a brief meditation session—featuring *Be Om At Om* chanting—and mindfulness exercises.
The run begins not with the ambition to defeat others, but with centering oneself and being fully aware of every step taken. Danu Kerthi: Preserving the Purity of Water
The “Beautiful Without Plastic” movement is part of an effort to maintain the cleanliness of water catchment areas in Bali’s uplands, including the ecosystems surrounding Lakes Buyan and Bratan.
Reducing plastic waste at the village level helps preserve the quality of water flowing from the highlands down to the coast.
Wana Kerthi: Preserving Forests
Through the “Run & Plant” concept, the participants’ journey does not end at the finish line.
New trees are planted to symbolize that every journey should leave behind life, not waste.
Segara Kerthi: Preserving the Ocean
Waste discarded in the village can eventually find its way into rivers and the sea.
Therefore, protecting the ocean must also begin upstream. The plastic reduction movement in Sudaji Village is part of a long-term effort to safeguard water flows all the way to Bali’s coast.
Jana Kerthi: Enhancing Human Well-being
The Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 also creates opportunities for local MSMEs in Sudaji Village and fosters the active involvement of the village’s university graduates.
Sports, the environment, and the local economy are brought together in a single event so that the benefits .does not end on the day of the event itself.
Jagat Kerthi: Preserving the World
Ultimately, Sudaji seeks to convey a message that transcends village and island boundaries.
From a village in the highlands of Bali, a message of peace is sent out to all of humanity.
For the Earth is our shared home, and peace is a language understood by everyone.
A Call to Leaders: Step Up
The Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 does not come with a request for funding allocations.
What it seeks to engage is the conscience and leadership by example of officials—from the Governor, Regents, and District Heads to local leaders and village heads (*Perbekel*) across Bali.
There are several simple steps they can take:
Join the 1 km run. Officials can attend and run alongside the community. It is not merely about attending a ceremony, but demonstrating that leaders are also willing to act as guardians of the Earth and protectors of the village.
Bring a tree from the village. Each official is invited to bring a tree seedling to be planted together at the Sudaji Peace Park on September 20, 2026.
Replicate the concept. Initiatives such as “Beautiful Without Plastic” (*Cantik Tanpa Plastik*) and “Unique with Organic” (*Unik Dengan Organik*) can be taken home and implemented in their respective villages. Sudaji can serve as a pilot project for village-based movements integrating sports, the environment, agriculture, and peace.
The Desired Legacy
The Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 is intended to extend beyond the moment participants cross the finish line.
For the youth, this event creates a space to cultivate pride in being farmers, as well as pride in safeguarding their village and its natural environment.
For Bali’s tourism sector, the event introduces the concept of a “Peace Trail” along the *subak* (traditional irrigation system) paths—a tourism experience that blends sports, spirituality, agrarian culture, and environmental sustainability.
For the Earth and the world, this movement targets the planting of 1,000 new tree seedlings, while simultaneously sending a message of love and peace from Sudaji to every corner of the globe.
From Office Desks to Village Paths
Ultimately, the Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026 is about more than just running a 6-kilometer course.
It is about a village inviting everyone to rediscover the connections between humanity and the land, water, forests, one another, and the world.
Here is the call to action from the event’s pioneer, founder, and committee lead, Mr. Sansan:
“Distinguished officials,
We cannot save Bali merely from behind office desks.
We save Bali by running, planting, and loving our village soil.
The Governor builds through policy; we build with our feet and our hoes.
We are both building—united for Bali.”
Sudaji aims to prove that change does not always have to begin with something grand.
Sometimes, change begins with a single step.
One step for peace.
One step for the Earth.
One step for the village.
One step for Bali’s future.
And when 1,000 steps meet 1,000 trees, a simple message is born:
Running together. Planting together. Loving together. For the Earth and for peace.
Sudaji Peace Trail Fun Run 2026
“Run in the Paddy Fields, Peace Earth: A Ritual of 1,000 Steps for Mother Earth.” ***
