Ten Southeast Asian marathons that start in the dark, and Manila's full goes at midnight

Chonburi, Thailand

1Bangsaen Half Marathon — 4:15 a.m. Start, Out-and-Back Along the Beach

Half marathon began in 2005 on Bangsaen Beach in Thailand’s Chon Buri province. The course starts on Bangsaen Road Section 1, follows Thong Long Hat Road, the Bangsaen–Ang Sila Road and Route 3134, then turns around at the Phraya Satcha Road intersection. The return leg retraces the route before looping back via Lop Kao Sam Muk Road.

The place name Khao Sam Muk comes from the legend of two lovers, Saen and Sam Muk. The finish is close to the beach, so the sea is only steps away after the race. Because it is an out-and-back course, runners encounter the leaders coming in the opposite direction.

Recent winners have mostly been elite runners from East Africa. The race is organized by Bangkok-based MICE & Communication, with timing and record verification following the international standards for World Athletics label races. The 2026 race is on December 20.

Time limit is 3 hours 30 minutes from the final wave’s start. There are two events: half marathon and 10km. Entry fee costs 2,000 baht for local runners and approximately 1,800 baht for overseas entrants.

Bib must be collected in person at the Heritage Convention Center in the Bangsaen Heritage Hotel from 12 to 20 on December 18 and from 11 to 19 on December 19. The first time on the schedule is 2 a.m.

The baggage area opens then, and the first wave starts at 4:15 a.m. In Bangsaen, race day begins in a hotel room well before sunrise.

Bangsaen21Sun, December 20, 2026 · D-42 · Chonburi, ThailandSee race details

Gianyar, Indonesia

2Maybank Marathon Bali — A Course Through the Rice Paddies, With Entry by Ballot

The race venue is the Bali United Training Center in Gianyar, Bali. Course passes through Balinese villages and terraced rice fields. It is a course through the island’s lived-in heart, not a resort course.

Entry is decided by lottery. Applications for the 2026 race ran from February 9 through 22, with the results announced on March 16. Entry fee is split between Indonesian nationals and everyone else, at full marathon 950,000 rupiah and 1,600,000 rupiah.

Bib requires identity verification using the entrant’s registration photo; proxy collection is not allowed. Race week in 2026 ran from August 21 through 23, and the 2027 dates have not been set. Time limit is 7 hours for the full distance.

The race began under a different name and in a different location. It was first held in Karangasem on April 4, 1999, with half marathon and 10K events and 147 participants. The name changed several times as sponsors changed.

It is now an AIMS-certified course and holds a World Athletics Elite Label. Gianyar receives its least rain of the year in August, during the dry season. Even so, normal daytime highs are 29–31°C and overnight lows 20–22°C, so the humid tropical heat remains.

Maybank Marathon 2026TBD · Gianyar, IndonesiaSee race details

Jakarta, Indonesia

3Jakarta Marathon — 4 a.m. Start, 5-Hour Cut-Off

This urban running festival starts at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Sports Complex in central Jakarta. Full marathon and half marathon, along with 10km, 5km and a children’s Junior Dash, take place over two days. The race holds a World Athletics Gold Label.

The 2026 event runs from October 22 through 25, with full marathon starting at 4 a.m. on Sunday, October 25.

Registration opened on May 5 and remains open. Entry fee starts at 800,000 rupiah, depending on the event. For the 2025 edition, Packet Pickup required identification and registration confirmation; the 2026 rules for proxy and same-day collection have not been set.

Jakarta’s daytime highs stay around 30–32°C year-round, with high humidity. October marks the transition from the dry to the wet season, when rainfall begins to increase. The first number to check when choosing this race is time limit.

The marathon has a 5-hour cutoff from the starting gun, shorter than that of many major marathons. Organizers describe it as a safety measure designed to limit runners’ exposure to Jakarta’s heat and humidity. The full marathon start is also set for 4 a.

m. for the same reason.

Jakarta Running FestivalOctober 2027 · expected · Jakarta, IndonesiaSee race details

Singapore

4Singapore Marathon — Flat Course, Free MRT Travel on Race Morning

Course is flat and passes a succession of Singapore landmarks: the National Stadium, Esplanade, Merlion Park and Marina Bay Sands. The race starts at 4:30 a.m.

from the F1 Pit Building. The opening kilometers run through a city still lit up, while the course reaches the bay as daylight arrives. Registration opens on April 27, 2026, and closes on September 30.

Entry is first come, first served, with no qualifying time required. Entry fee costs 188 Singapore dollars for full marathon among local residents and 208 Singapore dollars for everyone else. Half marathon costs 168 and 188, 10km costs 130 and 150, and 5km costs 98 and 118.

Prices do not increase in stages during the registration period. Race day is December 6, and time limit has not been announced. The route to start line is part of the race logistics.

On race morning, sections of the North–South, East–West and Circle lines open from 2:30 a.m. and run free of charge.

Trains can be used without bib. The stations opening early will be announced during race week. The last free trains departing Bukit Batok, Jurong East, Tanah Merah and Serangoon leave at 4:30 a.

m.

BYD Singapore International MarathonSun, December 6, 2026 · D-28 · SingaporeSee race details

BYD Singapore International Marathon · Read the story

Desa Borobudur, Indonesia

5Borobudur Marathon — From the Temple to Rice Paddies and Rural Villages

Start line and finish start and finish at Lumbini Park beside Borobudur Temple. Course runs through the countryside around Magelang, passing rice fields, tropical vegetation and traditional Javanese villages, with a mix of flat sections and gradual climbs. The 2026 race is on November 15.

Time limit has a 6-hour 30-minute cutoff, half marathon has 3 hours 40 minutes, and 10K has 2 hours. Entry is by lottery, with applications opening on July 10. The field is capped at 12,500 runners.

Overseas entries are available through World Marathons and Ahotu. Entry fee for the full distance is 950,000 rupiah. Organizers run shuttles from designated points in Magelang and Yogyakarta, with limited seating.

Aid stations are placed throughout course and finish. The marathon and half marathon courses also have separate fruit stations and sponge stations. In 2024, the marathon started at 4:30 a.

m.; organizers reported cloudy conditions, temperatures of 23°C and high humidity before dawn. Borobudur Temple, built in the 9th century under the Sailendra dynasty, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

The race uses the temple as both its starting point and finish.

Borobudur MarathonSun, November 15, 2026 · D-7 · Desa Borobudur, IndonesiaSee race details

Penang, Malaysia

6Penang Bridge Marathon — The Second Bridge Course and Road Closure Schedule

The name of this race is also course. It runs across the longer of the two bridges linking Penang, the Second Penang Bridge. Crossing a bridge stretching over the sea on foot, with no cars on the road, is the defining feature of this race.

Race day is December 13. Half marathon starts at 3 a.m.

, 10km starts at 6:30 a.m., and time limit has a 7-hour cutoff.

Registration opened on March 17, 2026, on a first-come, first-served basis and closes when the field reaches 25,000. Entry fee costs 120 ringgit for Malaysia residents and 240 ringgit for everyone else at the early-bird rate; regular prices are 150 and 300. Half marathon costs 110 and 220, while 10km costs 100 and 200.

Start line is located on the mainland, at Aspen Vision City. Because full marathon starts at 1:30 a.m.

, most of the bridge crossing takes place in darkness. On the long straightaway lined with streetlights, the sea arrives first as a sound. The bridge is also course, so road closures before and after the race need to be factored into travel plans.

Organizer shuttles run from both sides; in 2025, 42 buses departed from locations including George Town Komtar and Queensbay Mall. The Second Penang Bridge is closed from 11 p.m.

on the 13th until 10 a.m. on the 14th.

Runners staying on the island will have no way to cross by car on race morning.

Penang Bridge International MarathonSun, December 13, 2026 · D-35 · Penang, MalaysiaSee race details

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

7Kuala Lumpur Marathon — From Merdeka Square, Around the Petronas Twin Towers

The start and finish are at Dataran Merdeka, the site of Malaysia’s declaration of independence. The course passes the National Mosque and National Museum before heading toward Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and KL Sentral. Around the midpoint, it goes through Mid Valley Megamall, then turns back toward the downtown skyline.

After passing the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower, it runs near Stadium Negara before returning to the square. This course takes in the city’s history and skyline in a single loop. It is also Malaysia’s only road race with a World Athletics Elite Label.

The event began in 1989. Aid station has 24 stations spaced 2km apart, each staffed by medical personnel, and course roads are fully closed during the race. The start is at 3:30 a.

m. on October 4, 2026, and time limit is 7 hours 15 minutes. Entry fee costs 150 ringgit for residents and 430 ringgit for everyone else in full marathon, a difference of nearly three times.

Half marathon costs 130 and 340, 10km costs 100 and 260, and 5km costs 95 and 240. Bib can be collected at Hall 8 of MITEC from October 1 through 3 with a QR confirmation and identification or a passport. Some LRT and MRT lines run free from 1:30 a.

m. to 6 a.m.

on Sunday. The variable is the weather. Kuala Lumpur is entering the northeast monsoon in early October, when sudden downpours are frequent and normal daytime highs are 32–35°C.

Haze from fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan is also possible; the race was postponed because of haze in 2013 and 2015.

Kuala Lumpur Standard Chartered MarathonOctober 2027 · expected · Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaSee race details

Manila, Philippines

8Manila Marathon — Midnight Start, 8-Hour Cut-Off for the 42K

The race starts and finishes at the MOA Concert Grounds in Pasay City, Metro Manila, during the Philippine Independence Day weekend. It is organized by the running events company RUNRIO and carries a World Athletics label. The events are 5K, 10K, 21K and 42K.

The 2027 race is on June 12. Based on 2026 prices, Entry fee cost 3,400 pesos for 42K, 2,800 pesos for 21K, 1,800 pesos for 10K and 1,600 pesos for 5K. The 2027 registration schedule and Packet Pickup location have not been announced.

The 42K gun goes off at midnight. It is the earliest start among the ten races, making the previous night part of race preparation. Dinner timing and sleep must be planned around the start.

The 42K time limit is 8 hours. Runners who fail to pass start line within 15 minutes of the gun are disqualified, so waiting too long at the back of the field carries a real cost.

Manila MarathonJune 2027 · expected · Manila, PhilippinesSee race details

Bangkok, Thailand

9Amazing Thailand Marathon Bangkok — A Grand Palace Finish and an Early Sellout

Leaving from in front of MBK Center, course passes the Victory Monument and Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall, then turns west and crosses Rama VIII Bridge. The route runs out along the Borommaratchachonnani elevated highway before turning back to finish at Sanam Luang. It has been used since 2024.

Along the way come Lumpini Park, Wat Benchamabophit, Ratchadamnoen Avenue—known as Thailand’s Champs-Élysées—Golden Mount and the Giant Swing. The finish is in front of the Grand Palace. For two days, course roads are closed completely.

Course links places that would be difficult to see on foot in a single day of sightseeing in Bangkok, all within a few hours before dawn. Full marathon starts at 2 a.m.

on November 29 in front of the Supreme Court at Sanam Luang; assembly runs from 1 to 1:45 a.m. Time limit finishes in 7 hours, at 9 a.

m. Half marathon sets off separately at 4 a.m.

the previous day from MBK Center. Overseas registration requires a passport number, and payment is by card only. Bib is collected at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center from November 26 through 28.

The challenge is getting in. The fast-runner block opened on July 1, 2026, followed by general registration on July 3; all four events had sold out by the 10th. The published registration period ran through October 31.

Amazing Thailand Marathon BangkokSun, November 29, 2026 · D-21 · Bangkok, ThailandSee race details

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

10Yogyakarta Marathon — Starting at Prambanan, With 4 Temples Along the Course

For the 2026 race, both the start and finish are at Lapangan Brahma in the Prambanan Temple Tourism Park. Course passes Prambanan, Sewu, Lumbung and Bubrah temples, along with the surrounding rural villages, before returning to the temple grounds. The 2027 race is scheduled for June 20.

Entry fee cost 1,200,000 rupiah for the open marathon in 2026. That year, bib and the race pack were distributed on race day; the organizer announced the exact collection point separately. Bank Mandiri is the sponsor.

Registration dates for 2027 have not been announced. Starts are staggered by distance: the marathon at 4:45 a.m.

local time, half marathon at 5:15 a.m., the 10K at 6 a.

m. and the 5K at 6:15 a.m.

Time limit has a 7-hour limit, finishing at 11:45 a.m.; half marathon has 4 hours, the 10K 2 hours and the 5K 1 hour.

Where Borobudur takes one temple and sends the route into the countryside, Yogyakarta lines up several temples within course.

Mandiri Jogja MarathonSun, June 20, 2027 · D-224 · Yogyakarta, IndonesiaSee race details