The Course: Out Along Balikpapan's Main Road
The 2025 race started and finished at Lapangan Merdeka 3 in central Balikpapan [1]. The route passed city landmarks including the Monpera monument (Tugu Monpera), Plaza Balikpapan and the sun bear monument (Tugu Beruang Madu) [2]. The 5 km ran along Jalan Jenderal Sudirman and turned back in front of the city police headquarters, Polresta Balikpapan [3].
For 2026 the organiser says it will publish the route once the authorities have approved it, and warns that the course still shares the road with cars, motorbikes and trucks [4]. Watch for traffic and do not assume the whole road is closed.
The Weather: Saturated Air That Never Cooled
Balikpapan's Sepinggan airport, about 7 km east of Lapangan Merdeka, recorded 27°C at 5.30am when the half marathon started, with a dew point of 25°C, 89% humidity and a 4-knot wind [5][6]. Over the next three and a half hours it barely changed: 27°C with 94% humidity at 7am, and 28°C with a dew point of 26°C and a 3-knot wind at 9am [6]. Thunderstorms were reported near the airport at 4am and again at 8.30am, and light rain at 10am [6].
A dew point of 25°C to 26°C is at the top of the range runners find oppressive: sweat barely evaporates, and there was almost no wind to help. There was no cool early hour to bank time in, because the whole morning sat in the same heavy air. Start slower than your usual pace, drink at every station, and watch for storms, which were in the area both before the start and during the race [6].
Aid Stations, the Finish Area and Cut-offs
There was a water station every 2 km in 2025, with medical teams along the route and cheering points at several places [1]. Finishers got a medal, drinks, free food stalls set aside for runners and a recovery zone [1], and physiotherapy and health checks were available [3].
The food is part of the draw. Syahbudin Noor of PT Bayan said more than 20 kinds of food were laid on, in thousands of portions [3]. The popular dishes drew long queues: Rizal Effendi, a former mayor of Balikpapan who ran the 5 km, missed out on the free nasi uduk because the line was so long [3].
The 2026 rules set cut-offs of 3 hours 30 for the half marathon, 2 hours for the 10 km and 1 hour for the 5 km [7], counted from each race's start. Runners outside them get no medal or finisher jersey and are left out of the official results [7][4]. Podium places are decided on gun time, so the organiser advises contenders to line up near the front [4].
Organisation: A Big Crowd and a Few Minor Problems
About 6,000 people took part [1][8]. Ratih Kusuma, head of Balikpapan's tourism, youth and sport office, gave the split as about 1,000 in the half marathon, 2,500 in the 10 km and 2,500 in the 5 km, plus a kids' 2.5 km [8]. That was twice the previous year's field [9], at the fourth edition of a race first held in 2022 [1].
The half marathon started at 5.30am local time (WITA), followed by the 10 km, 5 km and 2.5 km [5], and runners were arriving from 4am [3]. PT Bayan's Suhud Wahyudi said more than 95% of entrants started, and the race director, Berti of the organising firm Kepala Batu Team, said there were a few minor problems that were solved quickly [1]. Suhud said the next edition would improve race-pack collection and the support areas [1].
It is a corporate and community event as much as a race. It marked PT Bayan Resources' anniversary and the TNI's 80th, was flagged off by the regional army command's chief of staff, and had a TNI–Polri category [3][2]. Along the road there were lion dancers, reog, a marching band, angklung music and students chanting [3], and the day ended with a dangdut DJ set [1].
How Fast the Field Is
Nofeldi Petingko won the men's half marathon in 1:11:07, from Syamsuddin Massa in 1:13:42 and Suparman Parman in 1:16:14. Nefriana Ariance Daik won the women's race in 1:25:59, well clear of Grace Imeilda Sarubang in 1:41:08 and Luh Putu Ninda Adnyasuari Darmawan in 1:46:44 [9]. The master categories were won in 1:34:10 (men) and 1:42:35 (women) [9].
The 10 km was won in 31:38 by Ibnu Sidik and in 39:08 by Irma Handayani, and third place in the women's 10 km was 49:22 [9]. The men's 5 km went in 16:01 [9].
Rizal Effendi reported prizes of Rp25 million, Rp17.5 million and Rp12.5 million for the top three in the master categories, and Suhud put total prize money at Rp400 million, or Rp500 million with a grand prize [3]. With women's half-marathon podium places going for 1:41 and 1:46, and separate master categories, a steady club runner has a real chance of a paid place.
Should You Enter the 2026 Race?
Yes, if you are in East Kalimantan and want a large, well-supported city race with water every 2 km, plenty of food at the finish and prize money that reaches into the master categories. The kids' races over 800 m and 2.5 km make it a family weekend [4]. Think twice if you want a fast time: in 2025 it was 27°C with a 25°C dew point at the start, and it did not cool [6].
The 2026 race is on Sunday 11 October at Lapangan Merdeka 3 for the half marathon, 10 km and 5 km, with the kids' races on Saturday 10 October at the BSCC Dome [4]. Entry costs Rp450,000 for the half marathon, Rp325,000 for the 10 km, Rp275,000 for the 5 km and Rp200,000 for the teenagers' 5 km [7]. Race packs can only be collected on 9 and 10 October at the BSCC Dome, not on race day [4], and entries cannot be refunded or transferred [7][4]. Half-marathon finishers get a finisher jersey, and the master categories are for runners aged 45 and over [4]. The route had not been published by late September [4].
Nobody from this site ran the race. This review draws on local reporting in Indonesian, a 5 km runner's own newspaper column, the published podium results, the organiser's 2026 rules and airport weather records.