Indonesia ready to hold Merdeka Run 2026, over 10,000 runners sign in

indonesianupdates.com_admin

4 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Youth and Sports has confirmed that more than 10,000 runners will take part in Merdeka Run 2026 in Jakarta on Saturday (Aug 29), starting around 5 a.m., with an 8 km route starting in front of Merdeka Palace, Central Jakarta.

“There will be more than 10,000 participants taking part in Merdeka Run 2026,” Deputy for Sports Industry Development at the Ministry of Youth and Sports Teuku Arlan Perkasa Lukman said here on Friday.

Arlan said the event received strong public enthusiasm, as on the first day of race pack collection, as many as 50 percent of participants had already come to collect their running gear.

According to Arlan, various supporting facilities had also been prepared for the event, including a race village called Kampung Merdeka, which will feature a prayer room for participants wishing to perform prayers.

Traffic management along the race route, including areas around the National Monument (Monas), MH Thamrin Street, the Hotel Indonesia Square, and Sudirman Street, will also be fully prepared by 2 a.m. ahead of the race.

“The preparations for the start will include various ceremonies, beginning with a drone show, followed by various attractions, as well as an aircraft flypast,” he added.

The event, Arlan says, will be open to the public, participants with disabilities, and national runners, including Odekta Elvina Naibaho.

The entire running event is expected to finish around 8 a.m., allowing the roads to be reopened for public activities.

Furthermore, Arlan said the event was beginning to show its potential as a sports tourism attraction as runners from outside Jakarta joined the event.

The Ministry also monitors hotel occupancy rates around the event venue and reports the economic activity generated by the event organized by the State.