SAN JOSE, Tarlac (May 3, 2026) — The quiet roads leading to the Jose V. Yap Sports and Recreational Complex transformed into a sea of determination and endurance as 1,600 runners converged for the Jelexie Half-Marathon 2026 on Sunday morning.
The event, organized by Hybrid Athletics and Smoke10, featured a grueling course designed to test the limits of local and visiting athletes. Jimmy “Abong” Tan, the head honcho of Jelexie Radio, noted that the choice of venue was deliberate to highlight the province’s premier athletic facilities and provide a steeper challenge for participants.
“We want to promote our province, especially San Jose’s Sports Complex,” Tan said, emphasizing that the complex offered a more challenging course compared to traditional flat routes.
The Philippine Army’s Armor Division and the Tarlac Police Provincial Office dominated the landscape, not only as the primary security detail but also as the largest participating contingents. Other top participating teams included RED Iron Hybrid Fitness Tarlac, Team Tsapsuy Tarlac, and the Barretto Runners from LGU Subic.
The stakes remained high throughout the morning as runners vied for a tiered prize pool where the rewards matched the distance. The elite finishers in the 21km category chased a top prize of ₱21,000, while the 10km, 5km, and 3km champions took home ₱10,000, ₱5,000, and ₱3,000, respectively.
Adding a professional edge to the pace of the race was Harvey Fajardo, who served as one of the official pacers for the day. Once the competitive segments concluded, the atmosphere shifted from intense athleticism to a festive celebration. DJ Cha-Cha took over the decks to provide entertainment for the finishers, while a diverse lineup of food providers, including Arraboo, Destino Brew Bar, Sisig OTG, Victory Ice Cream, JCosina, and Streetfoods, catered to the exhausted participants.
The successful staging of the marathon underscored Tarlac’s growing reputation as a hub for sports tourism, leaning on the synergy between private organizers, local media, and the uniformed services to pull off one of the province’s largest running events of the year.
