Malaysian Runners Build Bonds At Jakarta Running Festival

(MENAFN- Nam News Network)

By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil

JAKARTA, Oct 25 (NNN) -- The Jakarta Running Festival (JRF) has become more than just a sporting event for Malaysian runners, offering an opportunity to experience Indonesia's vibrant running culture while strengthening friendships and people-to-people ties between the two neighbouring countries.

Among those taking part in the festival were members of Malaysia's Haze Runners Club, who travelled to the Indonesian capital to join thousands of running enthusiasts from around the world.

Club member Nur Farhana Md Marzuki said the enthusiastic spectator support and the lively atmosphere were among the highlights of her first participation in JRF.

“JRF has its own unique vibe, quite different from what we experience in Malaysia,” she told Bernama when met at the festival.

She highlighted the strong spectator support along the route and explained how race locations, start times and community involvement contributed to the atmosphere of running events.

The four-day JRF 2026, held from Oct 22 to 25, featured four race categories. The half marathon (21.1km) and 5km races took place on Saturday (Oct 24), followed by the full marathon (42.2km) and 10km races on Sunday (Oct 25).

Organised by PT Kelompok Lari Anak Bangsa (KLAB), the festival also featured an expo and community activities, while its half-marathon category received the World Athletics Gold Label this year, while the full marathon held a World Athletics Label.

An avid runner who regularly participates in road and trail races, Nur Farhana said the festival also demonstrated how running events could attract international visitors through experiences extending beyond the competition itself.

The organiser reported that participation from Malaysia and Singapore had roughly doubled compared with last year. JRF 2026 attracted more than 37,000 runners from 48 countries, including over 1,000 international participants and representatives of more than 500 running communities.

Fellow club member Siti Khadijah Mat Noor said running had become part of the group's lifestyle, with members regularly participating in races in Malaysia and abroad, including major international events such as the Berlin and Sydney marathons.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta Head of Chancery and Counsellor Rosnita Hamzah, who also participated in the festival and is a member of the Haze Runners Club, said the club was established in 2015 by a group of friends who had already been running together.

“The club was formed in 2015 when Malaysia was experiencing severe haze. We were already running together and decided to adopt the name Haze Runners Club,” she told Bernama.

An avid runner herself, Rosnita said Malaysian participation in Indonesian running events extended beyond JRF to the Maybank Bali Marathon and the Jakarta International Marathon held in June.

Indonesian runners, meanwhile, were similarly active in races across Malaysia.

She said such exchanges reflected the close relationship between the two countries, with sporting activities providing opportunities to promote healthy lifestyles while strengthening friendship and mutual understanding.

As Malaysia and Indonesia prepare to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2027, Rosnita said people-to-people engagement through sports could contribute to the stability and continuity of bilateral ties.

She said that the two countries shared a unique relationship rooted in their common heritage and close neighbourly bonds, which continued to endure despite occasional differences.

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