Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung flagged off the half marathon category at the Jakarta Running Festival (JRF) 2025 at Istora Gelora Bung Karno, Senayan, Saturday (10/25).

Pramono expressed happiness seeing the incredible enthusiasm of the participants, considering that there were more than 1,000 participants, including foreign runners from 48 countries.

"Today, I could attend the flag-off of the Jakarta Running Festival Half Marathon. The energy of the participants was amazing. The total number of this year's participants was 27,300 runners, a significant jump of 70 percent from last year," he expressed.

Besides achieving success in the sports field, this Race Expo also has an economic impact on Jakarta. It involved more than 100 brands and attracts tens of thousands of visitors.

Additionally, there was a surge in hotel occupancy around the event venue, which also contributed to the growth of MSMEs.

"The impact is very significant because of what? Firstly, almost all of them, especially those from abroad or outside the Jakarta area, stay in accommodations around Sudirman, Thamrin, Gatot Subroto, Kuningan, and so on," he explained.

This event shows that Jakarta is indeed prepared as a city for sports tourism. It is designed to pass through various iconic points of Jakarta, thus the event can also showcase the best side of Jakarta.

Therefore, Pramono invited his residents to support this event.

To support this event, the Jakarta government has closed roads during the running event. They also ensured that community activities will not be disrupted.

"We provide full support. Including today, perhaps this is the first time for both the 5K and the half marathon that have been closed," he continued.

As information, this year, the Jakarta Running Festival has received two World Athletics Label certifications for the half marathon and marathon categories. The half marathon and 5K were held on the first day, while the marathon and 10K took place on the second day.

The government also provides water stations every 2.5 kilometers at the start of the race, then every two kilometers after the half marathon point, and every 1.5 kilometers in the final kilometers. These water stations are provided to help participants face the tropical weather challenges in Jakarta.