Cheering squads comprised of residents, students, communities, and\nart groups encouraged the runners through applause, chants, music, and\nunique costumes.<\/p>\n
A total of 6,000 participants took part in the event. The breakdown\nis as follows: 2,000 runners in the half marathon (21K) category, 1,750\nparticipants in the 10K race, 2,000 participants in the 5K race, and 250\nparticipants in the 3K fun run.<\/p>\n
The Governor of Central Java, Ahmad Luthfi, along with the Regional\nSecretary of Central Java Province, Sumarno, officially started the\nevent. Luthfi appreciated the support from various parties that\ncontributed to the success of the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you to BRI, BI, the Regent of Banyumas, and all the residents\nof Banyumas who have come together to organize this half marathon,\u201d said\nLuthfi in a statement on Sunday (May 17, 2026).<\/p>\n
Luthfi, who also participated in the 5K category, motivated the\nparticipants before the race began. Several participants stated that\nthey felt more enthusiastic due to the presence of the cheering squads\nat various points along the route.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sulendro, a participant from Yogyakarta, praised the\norganization of the Purwokerto Half Marathon 2026. He competed in the 5K\ncategory and finished with a time of 19 minutes and 33 seconds, noting\nthat the race atmosphere was lively.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe participants were very enthusiastic, and the facilities,\nespecially the water stations, were good. The route was also clear, so\nrunners could just run and enjoy it,\u201d said Sulendro.<\/p>\n
Another participant in the half marathon category, Rahadi, mentioned\nthat the cheering at the Purwokerto Half Marathon was one of the most\nmemorable compared to other running events he had participated in on\nJava Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my second time participating. The cheering is great and very\nmotivating. Compared to other races, the cheering here is much more\nlively,\u201d said Rahadi.<\/p>\n
The enthusiasm also came from local residents. Eko, a participant in\nthe 10K category from Baturraden, stated that it was his first time\nparticipating in the event. He was happy to see the community\u2019s\ninvolvement in enlivening the race along the route.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a local resident, I am enthusiastic because the cheering is\namazing. Hopefully, it will be even more lively in the future,\u201d said\nEko.<\/p>\n
Eko also praised the security and route sterilization, which made the\nrunners feel comfortable. According to him, events like this are\nimportant for driving the local economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) will\ncontinue to grow and thrive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Regional Secretary of Central Java Province, Sumarno,\nstated that the Purwokerto Half Marathon is not just a sports event but\nalso part of the development of sports tourism in Central Java.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis activity is part of the sports tourism developed by the\nProvincial Government of Central Java,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to him, running events are also a means of encouraging\npeople to adopt a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the presence of\nrunners from outside the region is expected to increase tourist visits\nto Purwokerto.<\/p>\n
Sumarno stated that economic growth in Central Java is supported by\nthe consumption sector. Therefore, activities that attract visitors from\noutside the region are considered important for driving the regional\neconomy.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least they stay in hotels, eat, and hopefully shop at MSMEs in\nPurwokerto,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He hopes that the long weekend will encourage runners and their\ncompanions to spend more than just one day in Purwokerto, which will\nhave an impact on hotel occupancy rates, culinary businesses, MSMEs, and\ntourist destinations.<\/p>\n
From an economic perspective, the Central Java Provincial Government\nhopes that the financial turnover from the Purwokerto Half Marathon 2026\nwill increase compared to the previous two events. In 2024, the economic\nturnover reached around IDR 6.4 billion, then increased to IDR 8.5\nbillion in 2025.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2026, we hope it will reach IDR 10 billion. Hopefully, it will be\nsuccessful, even more than that,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/6-000-participants-join-the-lively-purwokerto-half-marathon-2026-1780677808", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }