Regional Runners Flock to Jakarta Festival
Participation from Malaysia and Singapore roughly doubled from last year as the event drew runners from 48 countries.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Running
Live Poll
Would you travel abroad to join a major running event?
Members of Malaysia's Haze Runners Club joined more than 37,000 participants at the Jakarta Running Festival 2026, a four-day event held October 22 to 25 with 5km, 10km, half-marathon and full-marathon categories. Participation from Malaysia and Singapore roughly doubled from last year, and the festival drew runners from 48 countries.
Why it matters
The festival's growth across Southeast Asia shows how regional running events are drawing participants across borders, giving runners in the region more options to train toward and compete in organized races. The Haze Runners Club itself was founded in 2015 during severe haze in Malaysia, a reminder that air quality can shape where and how people choose to exercise.
The figures come from the festival's participation totals for the four-day 2026 event, which included 5km, 10km, half-marathon and full-marathon categories. The source does not specify how the totals were compiled or report figures for each race category separately.
The players
Haze Runners Club
A Malaysian running club founded in 2015 during severe haze in Malaysia, whose members travelled to Jakarta to compete in the festival.
Rosnita Hamzah
Head of chancery at the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta.
The details
The Haze Runners Club's members traveled to Jakarta to take part in the festival, which combined several race distances with an expo and other community activities. The club took its name in 2015, when severe haze was affecting Malaysia, and its trip to Jakarta reflects the growing participation of runners from neighboring countries in regional events.
Timeline
2015: The Haze Runners Club formed amid severe haze in Malaysia.
October 22-25, 2026: The Jakarta Running Festival 2026 was held over four days.
Health Landscape
The Haze Runners Club's origin in the 2015 Malaysian haze episode places its members' running within a regional history of air-quality problems affecting outdoor activity. Their growing participation in events abroad reflects how runners in Southeast Asia are increasingly choosing organized races as a structured way to stay active.
If you run or are considering your first organized race, regional events like this one show that 5km and 10km distances are widely available alongside longer races. Runners who train outdoors should consider air-quality conditions in their area, and a conversation with your doctor can help you plan a training schedule that fits your health.
The takeaway
Organized races offer a structured goal for staying active, and events drawing runners from many countries show how the sport is spreading across the region. Before committing to a longer distance, talk with your physician about a training plan suited to your fitness level.
Further reading
For more on organized races and training, explore our Running coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Free Malaysia Today.
Live Poll
Would you travel abroad to join a major running event?
