PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The second day of the 2026 Pocari Sweat Run, Sunday (20/9/2026), was observed to run smoothly with thousands of runners taking part in the 21-kilometer category at around 04.00 WIB.

Thousands of runners took part in the 21 kilometer (half marathon) category with a route that looped around a number of roads in the city of Bandung.

Besides the smooth running of the race, the morning atmosphere of Bandung City was a unique experience for the runners.

One of them is Yongki, a runner from Gunung Batu, Bandung City, who is taking part in a half marathon for the first time directly in Bandung City.

"Thank God, I was able to finish strong today. This was also my first virgin 21K or half marathon in Bandung. The atmosphere was very lively," Yongki told Bandung City Public Relations.

According to Yongki, the technical aspects of the event went well. He also encountered almost no queues during the competition.

"Overall, it's good. It's quite tight, but I think it's good," he said.

Tami, a runner from Jakarta who has participated in the Pocari Sweat Run several times, had a similar experience.

He assessed that the start time of 04.00 WIB made the running atmosphere more comfortable because the conditions were still cool.

"I think it was before 5:00 a.m. WIB (start time). It was nice, it was cool, so the start was cool, and the finish was cool. Overall, it was neat," said Tami.

One of Tami's memorable experiences was when she crossed the Kiaracondong Flyover area.

The moment of sunrise in the area is one of his favorite spots along the route.

"The one on the flyover, the road above, and then underneath it there's a sign that says Station (Kiaracondong). I like it, it has a fun vibe," he said.

Compared to previous implementations, Tami also saw that traffic management this year was better.

He remembered that two years ago, there was still a feeling of road space that had to be shared between runners and vehicles.

"Actually, two years ago, we really felt like we were fighting over vehicles. Last year was better. But this time, I think it's the least," he said.

He also hopes that the earlier start time will be maintained in the next implementation.

"It started out okay at this hour, even though I was a bit surprised at first, but it turned out to be good. So, I just kept it going, keep it that way," he said.

The smooth second day continued the implementation of the Pocari Sweat Run 2026 which had begun on the first day.

In addition to runner comfort, Pocari Sweat Run 2026 also pays attention to the comfort of the people of Bandung City who are active on the day of the event.

Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan said that the traffic control measures at several points on the first day did not last long.

Based on his observations, road users were only held up for around three minutes in several locations.

"Even though it was delayed at several points, it didn't last more than three minutes, I calculated," said Farhan.

He said that overall traffic conditions had returned to normal at 06.30 WIB, except around the finish area at Bandung City Hall.

"As soon as we arrived at 6:30 a.m., there was nothing wrong. Everything was running smoothly. We were just getting to the finish line, which is normal since the event center is here, at City Hall," he said.

The Bandung City Government continues to oversee the implementation of the 2026 Pocari Sweat Run through various facilities, one of which is the Bandung Command Center.

Bandung City Public Relations monitoring shows that Farhan routinely monitors traffic conditions via the Bandung Command Center CCTV.

After monitoring the surveillance cameras, he reviewed a number of specific points on the Pocari Sweat Run 2026 route.

In addition, the Bandung Siaga 112 service is also always on standby to oversee the running of the 2026 Pocari Sweat Run.

However, no unexpected events were found during the 2026 Pocari Sweat Run.

Apart from traffic management, the organizers also pay attention to cleanliness aspects during the event.

During the 2026 Pocari Sweat Run, plastic waste generated during the event was handled by Pocari Sweat for sorting and recycling.

"What's certain is that all plastic waste is handled by Pocari Sweat. So, all the waste will be sorted and then recycled. So, no waste will be thrown into the landfill," said Puspita Winawati, Marketing Director of PT Amerta Indah Otsuka.

With continued attention to traffic management, cleanliness, and public comfort, the 2026 Pocari Sweat Run took place with the support of various parties.

(Bandung City Communications and Information Service/bhf)