Geely holds first vertical run event in Indonesia
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Geely Auto Indonesia is hosting the Geely Jakarta Vertical Run 2026 at the Autograph Tower, Thamrin Nine, Jakarta, on 14-15 November. This marks the first vertical running event in Indonesia to be officially recognised by the Towerrunning World Association.
“Geely sees that vertical running contains elements of competition, innovation, and the drive to always be the best, making it a great opportunity to introduce our automotive products,” said Constantinus Herlijoso, Sales and Channel Development Director of Geely Auto Indonesia, during a press conference in Jakarta on Thursday.
He stated that the event, themed ‘Race to the Top of Jakarta’, is part of Geely’s efforts to introduce the sport of vertical running to the public while simultaneously promoting automotive products that embody the concept of sustainability.
Adrian Lee, Race Director of the Geely Jakarta Vertical Run 2026, explained that the competition is officially registered with the Towerrunning World Association and will utilise the emergency staircases of the Autograph Tower.
“As of 3 September, approximately 450 participants from 16 countries have registered, and this number is expected to continue increasing, with a target of reaching one thousand participants,” he said.
He explained that participants will climb nearly two thousand steps in a vertical route that technically covers approximately 80 floors. Although the Autograph Tower features numbering up to 108 floors, that figure includes lift numbering, the omission of certain floors, and basement areas that are not part of the race route.
The organisers have prepared three competition categories: Elite, Open, and Master. For the Open and Master categories, participants will be released in waves of five people every five minutes, while the arrangement for the Elite category will be determined based on the technical requirements of the race.
He stated that the timing system will use the ‘net time’ method, meaning winners will be determined by each participant’s individual elapsed time, rather than who crosses the start line first. Additionally, participants will be declared finishers once they reach the finish line at the top of the building and ring a bell provided by the organisers.
Adrian added that the organisers will provide several water stations, marshals in various zones, and CCTV support to assist in monitoring participants and race conditions. According to him, the risks in a vertical building race are relatively lower compared to trail or mountain running activities.
Participants can join the Geely Jakarta Vertical Run 2026 with a registration fee of Rp500,000 via the Jakarta Vertical Run website. Meanwhile, as of 3 September, the largest number of international participants comes from Malaysia, which possesses a well-developed tower running community.