The Course: A Flat Loop From GBK to Monas and Kuningan
The marathon starts and finishes at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) sports complex in Senayan and is one big loop through central Jakarta [1]. It heads out along Jalan Asia Afrika and Jalan Gatot Subroto, then north up Jalan Jenderal Sudirman and Jalan MH Thamrin past the Bundaran HI roundabout to the National Monument (Monas), where it turns between km 13 and km 16 [1]. It comes back down Thamrin, crosses Jalan Imam Bonjol and Jalan HOS Cokroaminoto, and runs south down Jalan HR Rasuna Said through Kuningan to a turn at about km 23.5. The last third takes it back down Sudirman, out and back on Gatot Subroto between km 32 and km 36, and down Jalan Sisingamangaraja at km 39 and 40 before the finish at GBK [1]. The route does not go north to Kota Tua, the old town [1].
It is flat. On the official elevation profile the marathon stays between roughly 10 m and 30 m above sea level from start to finish [1]. A 5 km runner said there was only a little uphill and the rest was all flat [2].
The half marathon uses the same spine: north up Sudirman to a turn at Bundaran HI at about km 7.5, back to GBK, out and back on Gatot Subroto between km 11 and km 15, then a loop down Sisingamangaraja before the finish [1]. Both the marathon and the half carried a World Athletics Label, new in 2025 [1][3].
The Weather: Saturated Air Before Dawn, 29°C by 8am
Halim Perdanakusuma airport, about 11 km east-south-east of GBK, recorded 25°C at the 4am marathon start on Sunday 26 October, with a dew point of 25°C, 100% humidity and no wind [4]. It was 27°C by 7am, 29°C at 8am and 32°C at 9.30am, just after the five-hour limit [4]. The half-marathon morning was a little kinder: 25°C and 94% humidity at 5am, still 25°C at 7am, and 26°C at 8am, when the half closed [5].
A dew point of 24°C to 25°C is about as humid as running air gets: sweat barely evaporates, so the flat profile flatters less than it looks. The race's medical director emailed runners before the race telling them not to chase a personal best in the heat [6], and the organiser's chief executive said the short marathon limit was set because unpredictable weather raises the risk of heat stroke [7]. A British club runner who ran both days finished the half in 1:20, but said the conditions were tough and held back to save something for the marathon [8].
Aid Stations and Cut-offs: Five Hours, Four Checkpoints
Water stations were placed every 2.5 km early in the marathon, every 2 km after halfway and every 1.5 km over the last few kilometres [3]. The race guide lists 19 medical stations, one at every hydration station, plus 13 ambulances and 11 mobile medics [1]. On the marathon map there is fruit at km 20 and km 32, energy gels at km 14, 26, 32 and 37, and sponge stations on the HOS Cokroaminoto section (passed at about km 19 and km 28), at the km 23.5 turn and at km 39 [1]. Official pacers ran at 3:45, 4:00 and 4:30, with a sweeper on five hours [1].
The limits are tight. The marathon closes five hours after the gun, and four checkpoints run on the clock, not on your own time: km 15 by 5.45am, km 23.5 by 6.50am, km 31.8 by 7.45am and km 36.8 by 8.20am [1]. From a 4am gun that is a steady 7 minutes per km all the way, and the first checkpoint is the tightest. Miss one and you are taken back to the race village by bus and recorded as a DNF; finish after five hours and you get refreshments but no medal or finisher jersey [1].
The half marathon allowed 3 hours 30 minutes in 2025, with checkpoints at km 10.5 by 6.25am and km 15.5 by 7.05am, and the 10 km allowed two hours and the 5 km one hour [1]. For 2026 the half-marathon limit is 3 hours 45 minutes; the marathon stays at five hours [9][10].
Roads, Starts and Crowds
The races ran on closed roads. On the Saturday, Sudirman, Gatot Subroto, Gerbang Pemuda, Thamrin at Bundaran HI and Sisingamangaraja were closed from 3.30am to 8.30am. On the Sunday the closures widened to Asia Afrika, Medan Merdeka Barat and Selatan, Imam Bonjol, HOS Cokroaminoto, Rasuna Said and the Mampang-Kuningan underpass, from 3am to 9.30am [1]. Jakarta's Sunday car-free day was cancelled to give runners the roads [3]. The organiser described the closures as total along the course [11], but the transport department's list kept one left-hand lane open to traffic on HOS Cokroaminoto and on both sides of Rasuna Said [12].
The marathon and 5 km used a single mass start and the half and 10 km started in waves by corral; official times are gun times [1]. You may move back to a higher-numbered corral but not forward, the runners' gate closes when your race starts, and late arrivals are not allowed to start [1].
With 27,300 runners over two days, the shorter races are crowded. A 5 km runner from Bengkulu said the course was busy because there were so many runners [2]. The finish is lively: the British club runner described the final stretch as packed with cheering crowds [8], and the women's 10 km winner, Novia Nu Nirwani, praised the cheering zones and said the air felt good, if a little hot [11].
How Fast the Field Is
The front of the field is international. Kenya's Hitley Ombisi Ademo won the marathon in 2:19:09 and Peris Jerono the women's race in 2:44:03 [13]. In the half, Bernard Wambua won in 1:04:19 from Peter Ngungu in 1:04:38 and Ethiopia's Teklu Bekele in 1:05:10; the best Indonesian was fourth in 1:08:31 and eighth place was 1:10:48 [14]. Nympha Kiteta won the women's half in 1:13:45, and fifth place was 1:25:30 [14].
Indonesians race for their own prizes too. Nofeldi Petingko won the national marathon category, open only to Indonesian citizens, and Rp50 million [15]. The 2026 marathon pays Rp231,250,000 to the open winner and Rp50,000,000 to the national winner, with a Rp250,000,000 bonus for a national record [9].
The marathon field is small beside the rest of the festival: 1,900 runners, against 9,700 in the half and 10,050 in the 10 km [11]. The British club runner, running the marathon in a full suit the day after the half, finished in 3:38 and said that placed them 13th in the open category [8].
Race Weekend Logistics
Race packs were collected at the expo in Istora Senayan: on 23 and 24 October from 10am to 8pm for everyone, and on the Saturday from 9am to 7pm for marathon and 10 km runners only. There was no race-day collection [1]. Marathon runners had to bring a completed self-health assessment form from Siloam Hospitals, and someone else could collect a pack with a signed power of attorney and a copy of the runner's ID [1]. The organiser said it had two separate collection areas and 350% more counters than the year before [12].
The race guide strongly advised against driving: parking was limited and main roads were closed from 3am. Runners rode the MRT free on race days, trains started at 3am, and Istora Mandiri station is a six-minute walk from Istora; Transjakarta buses did not run until the roads reopened [1]. Marathon runners were told to arrive by 3am, and the baggage drop is about 300 m from the runners' entrance [1]. Jakarta's governor said almost all runners from out of town stayed around Sudirman, Thamrin, Gatot Subroto and Kuningan [3].
Entry in 2025 was priced in tiers: the LariKu race listing gave Rp977,000 to Rp1,380,000 for the marathon and Rp808,000 to Rp1,140,000 for the half, with early-bird prices ending on 30 April 2025 [16]. Marathon finishers get a medal and a finisher jersey; half-marathon finishers get a medal [1][10].
Should You Enter the 2026 Race?
Yes, if you want a flat, closed-road marathon or half in Jakarta with an international front of the field and a busy finish, and you can finish well inside the limits. For most runners the half marathon, with its limit now 3 hours 45 minutes [10], is the easier fit.
Think twice about the marathon if you are not confident of about 4:45 in 25°C air at 100% humidity. The five-hour limit and four time-of-day checkpoints leave no slack for a bad day [1][4].
The 2026 half marathon is on Saturday 24 October and the marathon on Sunday 25 October, both from GBK, with the same 4.30am and 4am starts [9][10]. After the 2025 race the organiser said it would not rush to add places [7]. Check the 2026 route maps, road closures and entry fees before you book.
Nobody from this site ran the race. This review draws on the organiser's 2025 race guide and 2026 race pages, the Jakarta government's announcements, World Athletics results, airport weather records, Indonesian news reports and one runner's own account.