Malaysian Runners Join 37,000 at Jakarta Festival
Members of Malaysia's Haze Runners Club took part in the four-day Jakarta Running Festival 2026, which 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, held October 22 to 25. Participation from Malaysia and Singapore roughly doubled from last year.
Why it matters
The festival's growth shows increasing cross-border participation in regional running events. The Haze Runners Club, formed in 2015 amid severe haze in Malaysia, illustrates how community running groups are expanding their reach beyond national borders.
The festival recorded over 37,000 participants across 5km, 10km, half-marathon and full-marathon categories, with more than 1,000 international runners from 48 countries. Malaysian and Singaporean participation roughly doubled from the previous year, though the exact baseline figures were not provided.
The players
Haze Runners Club
A Malaysian running club founded in 2015 and named in response to severe haze affecting the country.
Rosnita Hamzah
Head of chancery at the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, who was connected to the festival.
The details
The four-day festival, held October 22 to 25, 2026, featured multiple race distances, an expo and community activities. Representatives from more than 500 running communities took part, and Rosnita Hamzah, head of chancery at the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, was among those involved.
Timeline
2015: The Haze Runners Club forms amid severe haze affecting Malaysia.
October 22-25, 2026: Jakarta Running Festival 2026 takes place.
Season Trajectory
The Haze Runners Club was born from Malaysia's 2015 haze crisis and has since become part of a wider regional running circuit. This year's Jakarta festival, with its near-doubling of Malaysian and Singaporean participation, suggests the club's community is expanding across Southeast Asia.
Runners planning to join regional events in Southeast Asia can see that cross-border participation is growing, with Malaysian and Singaporean entries roughly doubling. The festival's multi-distance format, from 5km to full marathon, offers options for athletes at different levels.
The takeaway
Community running groups can grow well beyond their home country when they respond to shared challenges and build regional connections. Athletes interested in international events should check festival category options early, since distances and participation rules vary.
Further reading
Explore more running coverage to see how regional events like this one are shaping the sport.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Free Malaysia Today.
Live Poll
Would you travel abroad to join a major running event?
