12,000 Participants Flagged Off at Merdeka Palace for Merdeka Run 2026

Minister of State Secretary Prasetyo Hadi, together with Minister of Youth and Sports Erick Thohir and Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya, flagged off around 12,000 participants of the Merdeka Run 2026 in front of Merdeka Palace on Jalan Medan Merdeka Utara, Jakarta, on Saturday morning (29/8).

The mass running event, held to commemorate the 81st anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, began with the singing of the national anthem Indonesia Raya accompanied by the raising of the Red and White flag in the grounds of Merdeka Palace.

As the race started, three F-16 fighter jets performed a flypast over the National Monument area. The start flag was raised simultaneously by the Minister of State Secretary, the Minister of Youth and Sports, and the Cabinet Secretary at exactly 06.00 WIB.

Merdeka Run 2026 was held as the closing of the official series of Bulan Kemerdekaan 2026 activities. The race featured several participant categories, including general, family, masters, and a special category for wheelchair users.

Merdeka Run 2026 covered a route of 8 kilometres. Participants started from in front of Merdeka Palace, passed along Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat and Jalan MH Thamrin, circled the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, proceeded along Jalan Jenderal Sudirman to Dukuh Atas, before turning back towards the finish line at Merdeka Palace.

A number of public figures and national figures also enlivened the running event.

To support the smooth running of the race, traffic engineering and temporary road closures were implemented along the protocol route from 04.00 to 07.30 WIB.

In addition to the sporting activity, Merdeka Run 2026 was also enlivened by the presence of dozens of MSMEs offering various snacks and craft products, an entertainment stage featuring musical performances by Wali Band and Moluccan Soul, as well as the distribution of various attractive door prizes for participants.