The Course: Central Jakarta, an Underpass and a Flyover
The run starts and finishes at Plaza Parkir Timur, the east car park of the Gelora Bung Karno sports complex [1]. Police said the 2025 route used Jalan Sudirman, Senopati, Pattimura and Sisingamangaraja, as far as the Antasari elevated road (JLNT Antasari) [2], and half marathoners passed a checkpoint on Sudirman-Thamrin [3]. Two runners quoted by CNN Indonesia after the race singled out a stretch that drops into an underpass and climbs back out [4].
The race holds a World Athletics Label, which Pertamina said was verified in 2025 [5]. The results show timing points on the half marathon at 4.8, 10, 15.4, 16.9, 18.2, 18.5, 20.2 and 20.7 km [6]. For 2026 the official route page still lists the distance, elevation and GPX file as coming soon [7].
Police warned drivers to expect congestion on those roads from 4am and to follow officers' directions [2].
The Weather: Saturated Air Before Dawn
Halim Perdanakusuma airport, about 11 km south-east of GBK, recorded 25°C at 4.30am and 5am, with a dew point of 24°C, 94% humidity and a 3 to 5-knot wind [8]. It did not change until after 6.30am. By 7.30am it was 27°C with 89% humidity, and at 8am and 8.30am, around the half-marathon cut-off, 27°C with 84% [8].
It was not especially hot, but a dew point of 24°C is near the top of the range runners find oppressive: sweat barely evaporates, so effort rises long before the temperature does. Start slower than your usual pace and drink early.
Start Times, Cut-offs and Aid
The organiser's FAQ gave flag-off times of 4.45am for the half, 5.15am for the 10 km, 5.20am for the 5 km and 5.30am for the family run, with limits of three and a half hours for the half, two hours for the 10 km and one hour for the two short races [9]. A post-race report gave the same times for the three longer races [3]. A pre-race radio report instead said the half would start at 5.15am with a four-hour limit [1].
The results list 44 half marathoners as finishers with gun times over three and a half hours, the slowest in 3:46:31 [6], so the results point to the limit not being applied at 3:30 at the finish in 2025.
A first-time 10 km runner quoted in the same report said the event was neat, the pacers encouraging and the water stations plentiful [4]. Bag storage opened at 4am for runners with a bib, there were no changing rooms, and cutting the course was banned [9].
How Fast the Field Is
The half marathon's Open category, the one foreign runners can enter, drew an East African field. The first man across the line, Kenya's Mathew Samperu in 1:04:23, tested positive for testosterone in a sample taken at the race and was banned for three years by the Athletics Integrity Unit, forfeiting the prizes [10]. World Athletics lists the runner as disqualified, making Bahrain's Dawit Fikadu the winner in 1:06:17, ahead of Ethiopia's Teklu Bekele in 1:07:09 [11]. Kenya's Lucy Nthenya won the women's race in 1:15:41, with Indonesia's Nefriana Daik second in 1:21:46 [11].
Behind the professionals the field is ordinary. Tenth place was 1:20:44 for men and 1:39:35 for women [6]. In the categories for Indonesians and Pertamina staff, the fastest man ran 1:12:16 and tenth 1:34:10; the fastest woman ran 1:25:43 and tenth 1:56:08 [6]. The median finisher took 2:38:21, 345 of the 1,335 finishers took more than three hours, and only 219 were women [6]. Pertamina put up 66 podium places across national, junior, company and age categories [1].
The 10 km, closed to foreigners, was won in 31:14 by a man and 38:08 by a woman; tenth places were 38:14 and 47:46 [6][9].
Tickets, Race Packs and the Festival
Places are sold only through the MyPertamina app, one ticket per person per transaction, first come first served, and tickets cannot be cancelled or refunded [9]. In 2025 sales opened on 21 July [12] and all 14,000 places sold out [3]. The half cost Rp600,000, the 10 km Rp450,000, the 5 km Rp300,000 and the family run Rp350,000 for one child and one adult [9].
Foreign runners could enter only the Half Marathon Open, from age 17; the other half-marathon and 10 km categories were for Indonesians or Pertamina employees, and the 5 km was open to the general public from age 13 [9].
Race packs were collected at Wisma Serbaguna GBK on Friday 21 November, 10am to 8pm, and Saturday 22 November, 10am to 6pm. A representative needed a signed power of attorney, and anyone who missed collection was treated as having withdrawn [9].
The run is the morning half of a day-long event with an eco market and an evening music festival that needs a separate ticket [9]. Pertamina says every emission from runners, the stage and the festival was offset through its own carbon-offset programme and that event waste was to be recycled [5], with Waste4Change managing it [3]. These are the company's own claims.
Should You Enter the 2026 Race?
Yes, if you want a large, neatly run Jakarta race with a labelled half marathon, a real elite race at the front and many podium categories for Indonesian runners. The 1.5 km family run and the 5 km suit families and first-timers.
Think twice if you are a foreign runner who wants the 10 km, or if you struggle in humidity: the 2025 half started in 94% humidity.
The 2026 race is on Sunday 6 December at Plaza Parkir Timur and Istora Senayan [13]. The half is scheduled to flag off at 4.50am with an 8.20am cut-off [14], the half-marathon fee rises to Rp700,000, foreign runners are again limited to the Half Marathon Open [13], and race packs are collected at Ratu Plaza on 4 and 5 December [15]. The route, elevation and water stations had not been published when this was written [7].
Nobody from this site ran the race. This review draws on the organiser's FAQ and race pages, the full results, World Athletics records, airport weather records, and Indonesian and Kenyan news reports.