A Purpose-Built Sports Hub North of Manila
The race is held entirely within New Clark City, a purpose-built government and sports complex in Capas, Tarlac, well outside Metro Manila's urban core. [1] The course runs through the Sacobia Bridge and along the Airport to NCC Access Road (ANAR) -- promoted by organisers as the longest bike lane in the country -- before finishing in front of the NCC Athletics Stadium, giving the marathon a stadium-finish feel that few Philippine road races can match.
Four Heartbreak Hills: Read the Course Notes
Organisers market the marathon route as including 'four heartbreak hills,' which is a fairly direct signal that this is a rolling or hilly full marathon rather than a flat PR course. [1] Runners chasing a fast time should read the course profile carefully before entering; those looking for a scenic, challenging change of pace from flat coastal courses will find exactly that.
Four Distances, One Series Finale
The 2026 marathon (42.195K) is the culminating leg of a broader New Clark City race series that also included a 10-Miler and Half Marathon earlier in the year, alongside standalone 5K, 10K and 21K categories on race day itself. [1] Hydration stations along the route provide water and sports drinks in paper cups, with kilometre markers at every km, based on how the prior RUNRIO-organised 2024 edition was run.
New Organiser for 2026
The 2026 edition is organised by Run The North, a different operator than RUNRIO, which ran the 2024 race. [1] That matters because participant feedback and logistics from the 2024 edition -- water station placement, shuttle arrangements, race-pack collection -- were built around RUNRIO's operation and may not transfer directly to how Run The North executes race day.
No Independent Reviews Yet
As of this writing, there are no independently published participant race reports, reviews, or forum discussions about this specific event -- available material is limited to organiser and marketing pages from Run The North, Takbo.ph, Pinoy Fitness and registration sites.
Getting to Capas, Tarlac
New Clark City sits in Capas, Tarlac, roughly two hours north of Metro Manila by road via the North Luzon Expressway and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. [2] It's a manageable day trip or overnight stay for Manila-based runners, though the venue itself is a self-contained government complex rather than a city with its own tourism draw.
Should You Run It?
If a hilly, stadium-finish marathon in a purpose-built sports complex appeals and you're comfortable with a first-year-under-new-management race, the New Clark City Marathon on 16 August 2026 is worth watching once registration opens. Runners who want a known quantity should wait for post-race reports under the new organiser before committing.