In a bid to promote tourism in Bali and Thailand, Index Creative Village Plc, Thailand's leading event and expo organiser, is joining with Thai AirAsia to hold Bali Kilorun 2018.
Kreingkrai Kanjanapokin, founder and group chief executive of Index Creative Village, said the running event is expected to help Bali's tourism after the Mount Agung volcano eruption last year, as holding the event on the island will help tourists regain their confidence.
"Bali is a resilient island and it has recovered very fast from natural disasters in the past," Mr Kreingkrai said.
Bali Kilorun 2018 is scheduled to take place in Ubud, Bali during June 2-3 under the theme "Running Festival of Food, Fun, Friends, and Family", to encourage tourism in Indonesia through unique activities, sightseeing, a mini-marathon and food tasting.
The event is expected to draw more than 2,000 runners, evenly split between locals and foreigners, Mr Kreingkrai said.
Runners will take part in local traditions in Bali, which has been voted one of the world's favourite destinations and is a hub of arts and culture.
There will be a wide variety of food from popular local restaurants such as satay ayam (chicken satay) and soto ayam (Indonesian chicken noodle soup).
Mr Kreingkrai said the success of Bangkok Kilorun 2018 helped boost Thailand tourism, indicating that the upcoming event will benefit Indonesia's Bali and Index will become more recognised in the Southeast Asia market.
The two-day Kilorun 2018 in Bangkok was well-received, he said, attracting more than 2,600 runners while building a positive image for Thailand.
Mr Kreingkrai said Bangkok Kilorun 2018 helped drive economic growth because tourism is still the best source of revenue for Thailand.
The Kilorun series includes running, eating and travelling through four iconic spots in Asia: Bangkok, Bali, Osaka and Hanoi.
The next running event will take place in Osaka in September.
Santisuk Klongchaiya, director of commerce for Thai AirAsia, said the company provides continuous support to Thai tourism by expanding direct flights from abroad, and this partnership with Index Creative Village is a significant part of AirAsia's vision to boost economy through tourism.