JAKARTA - PT Bank Tabungan Negara (Persero) Tbk (BTN) successfully completed the implementation of the BTN Jakarta International Marathon (BTN Jakim) 2026 which took place for two days on June 13-14, 2026. Entering the second day and closing, the Marathon (42K) and Half Marathon (21K) categories were held with tens of thousands of runners from within and outside the country.
The release (flag off) of the Marathon category was carried out by the Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Rano Karno, Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir, President Director of PT Bank Tabungan Negara (Persero) Tbk Nixon LP Napitupulu, and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Danantara Indonesia Dony Oskaria.
Deputy Governor of DKI Jakarta Rano Karno conveyed his appreciation to the people of Jakarta who have supported the implementation of BTN Jakim 2026 so that all series of events can take place safely and smoothly.
"We in Jakarta are very proud and happy that BTN Jakim can be carried out well. I am very grateful, the Governor is also very grateful to the people of Jakarta. Yesterday's incident honestly made us a little hesitant, but thank God everyone realized that Jakarta belongs together. Today BTN Jakim is running with 45,000 amazing runners. Hopefully this will be a calendar of activities every year," said Rano.
The Minister of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Indonesia Erick Thohir said that the implementation of BTN Jakim is proof that sports are able to encourage people to live healthier and at the same time have a positive impact on the development of sports tourism and the national sports industry.
"This is a very positive thing, part of our efforts to pave the way for a healthier Indonesian people, especially the people of Jakarta. This also opens the way for economic growth because sport tourism and the sport industry can develop. With 45,000 participants, the economic impact is certainly extraordinary and hopefully continues," said Erick.
Erick added, Indonesia together with a number of countries in Southeast Asia is exploring the formation of a regional marathon circuit which is expected to increase the competitiveness of running sports in the region.
"If in the world there is a Boston Marathon and a Tokyo Marathon, why is there no joint event in Southeast Asia? Hopefully in 2027 or 2028 Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines can have a Southeast Asian marathon circuit that will be a joint event for the best runners in the region," he said.
Based on the committee's data, BTN Jakim 2026 was attended by more than 45,000 participants, consisting of around 5,500 runners in the 5K category, 10,000 runners in the 10K category, 21,300 runners in the Half Marathon (21K) category, and 8,200 runners in the Marathon (42K) category. This event was also attended by 1,012 international runners, making BTN Jakim one of the marathon events with the largest foreign runner participation in Indonesia. The high number of participants also encouraged the occupancy rate of hotels in the Sudirman, Senayan, and Thamrin areas during the event.
Meanwhile, Danantara Indonesia's Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dony Oskaria emphasized Danantara's commitment to supporting the organization of sports activities that provide broad benefits for the community while supporting economic growth.
"Danantara always supports every positive activity. The Jakarta International Marathon is one of the very good marathon events. The economic impact is also big, and we hope that the Jakarta International Marathon can grow into one of the major marathons in the future. Insyaallah hopefully. Therefore, we must continue to support its organization," said Dony.
In the men's Open Marathon category, Kennedy Njogu Muhia from Kenya emerged as the first champion with a time of 2 hours 16 minutes 23 seconds. The second position was occupied by his compatriot, Ezekiel Kemboi Omullo, who recorded a time of 2:16:43, while the third place was won by Abdi Asefa Kebede from Ethiopia with a time of 2:20:04.
In the Women's Open Marathon category, Kenyan runner Alemnesh Herpha Guta managed to win the title after recording a time of 2:36:54. Meseret Dinke Meleka from Ethiopia finished in second place with a time of 2:37:50, while the third place went to Eunice Nyawira Muchiri, who also represented Kenya with a record of 2:39:17.
For the Men's National Marathon category, Robi Syanturi managed to become the champion with a time of 2 hours 27 minutes 58 seconds, beating Nofeldi Petingko (2:28:20) and Sedilta Pilon Nubatonis (2:33:20). Meanwhile, in the Women's National Marathon category, Isania Tarigan appeared as the champion with a time of 3:08:47, followed by Cilpia Manalu (3:16:20) and Sharfina Sheila Rosada (3:27:29).
The men's Open Marathon champion, Kennedy Njogu Muhia, admitted that the weather conditions were the biggest challenge during the race in Jakarta. However, the thorough preparation that had been carried out since the beginning of the year brought him to victory.
"I am proud to be the champion of the 2026 BTN Jakarta International Marathon. The biggest challenge today is the hot weather with high humidity. But I have been preparing since January after participating in the Hong Kong Marathon. Thanks to disciplined training with coaches and teammates, I finally won in Jakarta," said Kennedy.
Meanwhile, the National Men's Marathon Champion Robi Syanturi said that the victory he achieved felt more meaningful because he was still able to carry out his worship in the middle of the race.
"At kilometer 14 I stopped for about three minutes to perform the Subuh prayer, then continued the race. Even though I had to catch up, thank God I could finish as the first winner. BTN is very supportive of runners so that everything goes well," said Robi.
Robi added that consistency in training was the key to his success in winning the BTN Jakim 2026.
"The secret is practice, rest, and worship. I have been practicing for about ten years. The BTN Jakim route is quite challenging, but it is a pleasant experience for runners. I am also happy to see that the organization runs safely and smoothly," he said.
BTN Jakarta International Marathon 2026 again confirms its position as the largest running event in Indonesia with the participation of tens of thousands of runners from various regions in Indonesia and abroad. The collaboration between BTN, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Danantara Indonesia, and all stakeholders is expected to further strengthen the position of BTN Jakim as a world-class running event as well as strengthening the sport tourism ecosystem and national sports industry.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
