Pokémon Run
Pokémon Run logo from 2024

Pokémon Run are a series of Pokémon-themed marathon events hosted by The Pokémon Company in various Asia countries. These marathons typically were comprised of casual, non-competitive races with several events for both adults and children to enjoy.

Events

Pokémon Run Carnival (2015)

The first Pokémon Run event was held in the Taiwan.[1] The marathon featured a 10k route with a limit of 3000 people as well as a more casual 3.5k marathon for the parent-child groups. The route passed through the then recently opened Zhudong Animation and Comic Creative Park, which featured an exclusive Pokémon exhibit.[2]

Pokémon Christmas Run Taipei (2016)

The Pokémon Christmas Run Taiwan was the second Pokémon Run Event held also in Taiwan and run by TG Taiwan[3]. The event contained about 5,800 registered participants with a total of 10,000 attendees. This event featured Christmas-themed warm-up activity music to boost the "holiday spirit" of the event.

Pokémon Run SG (2017)

On January 14, 2017, co-organizers Infinitus and Avex Asia Pte. Ltd partnered with The Pokémon Company to host the Pokémon Run SG.[4] This event was the first Pokémon-themed fun run in Southeast Asia, taking place at the Promontory in the Marina Bay, Singapore.

Nearly 6000 people showed up and participated in a 5 km fun run filled with various Pokémon-themed activities located along the route such as the pop-up Singapore Pokémon Cafe. Additionally, runners were able to play early demos of Pokémon Sun & Moon.[5] Game Freak Director Junichi Masuda was also present as a guest-of-honor during the event with children given the opportunity to interact with him at a special autograph session.[6]

Pokemon Run Carnival Taiwan (2018)

  • Date: January 13, 2018
  • Location:

The Pokemon Run Carnival Taiwan event was the third Pokemon Run to be held in Taiwan.[7] Every participant will received a goodie bag including a limited edition yellow Pokemon Run Carnival T-shirt (available in sizes XS, S, M, L XL, XXL), a Poke Ticket, a Runner’s Tag, a Drawstring Pouch/Bag, and a special Pokemon Run Carnival completion medal.[8]

The event received several bad reviews, citing long wait times and short-handed staff.[9] The organizer and sponsor of the event, Avex Asia Pte. Ltd., issued a statement apologizing for the event's issues and offered an exclusive Pokemon Run Carnival tumbler as compensation for dissatisfied guests.

Pokémon Run Carnival SG (2018)

  • Date: January 27, 2018
  • Location: Marina Bay, Singapore

On January 27, 2018, a Pokémon Run marathon once again took place at the Marina Bay in Singapore.[10] Inflatable obstacles were added to the run. In addition, there is a Pokémon Carnival area, in which attendees can participate in other activities, such as making fuse bead art, taking photos, and watching a Pikachu parade. Attendees also had the opportunity to play Pokémon Tretta and received a Heracross Trophy Tretta chip.[11]

Pokémon Run Thailand "Charge Up" (2020)

On January 26, 2020, the Thai company, Change, announced a marathon held in Bangkok.[12] The event held one 5km marathon as well as two 10km marathons for more seasoned participants. All participants received a race pack containing medals, T-shirt and a drawstring bag with a bonus Pikachu headband available as a pre-registration gift.

Pokémon Run Jakarta (2022)

Pokémon Run Jakarta (2022) was the first Pokémon Run event held in Indonesia as part of the Pokémon Festival Jakarta, the largest Pokémon festival to be held outside of Japan. [13] The event was sponsored by Permata Bank.[14] There were two running categories for this event: the 3km and 5km. Several activities were held for each route, including a balloon slide for both children and adult participants. Particpants would receive special promo items such as Pokémon Run-branded t-shirts, medals and tote bags.[15]

Pokémon Run 2024 Denpasar

  • Date: March 3, 2024
  • Location: Puputan Niti Mandala Field, Denpasar, Indonesia

The Pokémon Run Jakarta (2022) was the second Pokémon Run event held in Indonesia and was hosted by AKG Entertainment.[16] This event was the first of many Indonesia events that were part of the Pikachu's Indonesia Journey campaign. The event consisted of the 5km Fun Run and the 3km Family Run.

Pokémon Run in Hong Kong (2024)

The Sun Life Fun Run: Pokémon Run Hong Kong 2024 was an event sponsored by Sun Life Financial.[17] It offers three different race distances of 1.5km, 3km, and 5km of which participants could choose between to race as either an individual or as a team of two. A "Pokémon Run Carnival" event and a Pokémon Meet and Greet session were also held, where participants could meet and take pictures with mascots of Pikachu, Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.

All participants who completed the race would receive an e-certificate of completion and a Pokémon Finisher Medal. Early registers to the event would receive an exclusive Pikachu Storage Box.

This event followed other Pokémon-related events held in Hong Kong during that year including, the Pokémon Roadshow in December 2023 and Pokémon Treasure Hunt hosted on January 2024.

Pokémon Run Surabaya (2024)

  • Date: May 12, 2024
  • Location: Pakuwon Mall, Surabaya, Indonesia

The Pokémon Run held in Surabaya was the second Pokémon Run event held as part of the Pikachu's Indonesia Journey campaign.[18] Similar to the previous event in Denpasar, it featured a 5km Fun Run and the 3km Family Run.

Pokémon Run Yogyakarta (2024)

  • Date: August 18, 2024
  • Location: Lapangan Garuda Mandala, Candi Prambanan, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

The Pokémon Run held in Yogyakarta was the third Pokémon Run event held as part of the Pikachu's Indonesia Journey campaign.[19] Similar to the previous event in Denpasar, it featured a 5km Fun Run and the 3km Family Run.

Pokémon Run Jakarta (2024)

The Pokémon Run event held in Jakarta was the last Pokémon Run event held for Pikachu's Indonesia Journey.[20] This event was held in the same location as the previous Pokémon Run held in Jakarta. Along with other events during the Pikachu's Indonesia Journey campaign, also hosted was a 5km fun run and 3km family run.

Pokémon Run Taiwan (2024)

  • Date: October 27, 2024
  • Location: Times Boulevard (Chenggong 2nd Road - Zhonghua 5th Road), Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

The Pokémon Fun Run was a full-fledged marathon event held in Taiwan and organized by Chuan Tung Sporting Goods Co., Ltd.[21] This event consisted of a single 4km for both beginner and expert runners. Participants could choose between two different running kits: the "Pokémon Trainer Basic Group" kit or the "Pokémon Master Training Group" kit. Both kits included Pikachu commemorative T-shirts, Pokémon merchandise, and a Pikachu and Poké Ball-shaped finisher medal.[22]

Pokémon Run Kuala Lumpur 2024

  • Date: November 10, 2024
  • Location: Piazza, Bukit Jalil Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Pokémon Run event in Kuala Lumpur was the first Pokémon Run event held in Malaysia.[23] The event was sponsored by Julie's Biscuits.[24] This event featured a 4km run with a route filled with opportunities for particpants to take photos with beloved Pokémon characters. Each particpant received a celebratory gift set containing a official running t-shirt, bib, drawstring bag, visor, towel, and a commemorative medal. As an added bonus, the kit will also included an exclusive Pokémon Trading Card Game Fun Pack and Playmat.

The marathon was held as part of the Pokémon Festival event in the same venue that was ran from November 7 to November 10, 2024. This free-admission event offered activities such as a Pokémon Trading Card Game corner with expert tutors, Pokémon carnival games, an inflatable play zone, and exclusive Pokémon merchandise.

Pokémon Run: Philippines (2025)

The first Pokémon Run event in the Philippines was held in the SM Mall of Asia and organized by RUNRIO.[25] The event was a part of a boarder event called Pokémon Fun Day presented by SM Supermalls which kicked off its nationwide tour at The Block Atrium in SM North EDSA from Jan. 31 to Feb. 13.[26] It was split into four different difficulty levels: a 10km, a 5km, a 2km, and a 1km marathon, each starting at 30 minute intervals from 5:00 AM to 6:30 AM. Over 10000 participants took part in the event.[27]

Pokémon Run: Mumbai (2025)

  • Date: March 2, 2025
  • Location: Jio World Garden, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai, India

As a part of the Pokémon Carnival Mumbai 2025 event, the first Pokémon Run in India was held.[28] A 2km Fun Run and a 5km Fun Run were held on March 2, 2025. Originally, the 2K Fun Run was going to be held on the prior date of March 1, 2025 but was delayed due to a last-minute directive from authorities regarding VIP movement. All Pokémon Run participants also were able to enjoy complimentary access to Pokémon Carnival.

Pokémon Run IIT Bombay

  • Date: October 26, 2025
  • Location: IIT Bombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

As a prelude to that year's Techfest at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Asia’s largest science and technology festival, a Pokémon mini marathon was held on October 26, 2025 at Hiranandani, near the IIT Bombay campus.[29] It consisted of a 4km race with special exhibition stalls.[30]

Pokémon Wonder Island in Jeju

  • Date: November 11, 2025
  • Location: Jungmun CC (Jungmun Golf Course), Seogwipo City, Jeju Island, South Korea

The Pokemon Wonder Island in Jeju was an event organized by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Jeju Tourism Organization in partnership with Pokemon Korea Inc.[31] As a part of this event, the first Pokémon Run event in South Korea was held.[32] Participants would run along the coastal course of Jeju Island—specifically the cart paths of Jungmun CC—and upon completing the race, were eligible to earn an exclusive Pikachu plush medal. The Pokémon Run sold out every session, with more than 50% of the 4,000 participants who visited Jeju visited specifically to join the run.[33] Two courses were made available: a morning 8km race and an afternoon 4km race with two different paths.[32] Special giveaways were held for participants including rewards such as a Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends Z-A bundle, Jigglypuff-themed golf balls, and other specialized merchandise.

The 24th Ayahashi Sea Road Race

As a part of the 24th Ayahashi Sea Road Race, the first Pokémon Run event was held in Japan.[34] This was a 3.8km race featuring the Okinawa Prefecture's Local Acts ambassador, Growlithe, as a mascot. In addition, a Lucario mascot would also be featured alongside Growlithe, helping cheer competitors on during the race. Special Growlithe-themed t-shirt designs were featured for both the Pokémon Run race as well as the other marathons as part of the 24th Ayahashi Sea Road Race.

Pokémon Run with SK Telecom

30th Anniversary Magikarp logo

This Korean Pokémon Run event was held on Korean Children's Day as part of the 2026 Seoul Spring Festival.[35] The marathon was co-organized by Samsung and SK Telecom who partnered with Pokemon Korea Ltd. It was also part of the Pokémon 30th Anniversary, being first teased on the Pokémon South Korean socials with the 30th Anniversary Logo for Magikarp.[36] The event was formally announced on February 12, 2026 with Magikarp as the mascot of the event.[37]

Two marathons were held for the event. In the morning was the "Magikarp Splash Run" which was a friendly 8km race of around 2500 people. In the afternoon, a 5km "Magikarp Flail Run" was held also with 2500 people. Tickets were sold at the SKT T Direct Shop for ₩75000 between March 3, 2026 and March 13, 2026.

Besides the main marathon event, other special events were held at the waterfront stage in Hangang Park.[35] As a special warm-up for each marathon, a "gymnastics version" of the Korean version of the I LOVE Magikarp song was released. Special stage performances and photo-ops were also held. Several booths featuring exclusive Pokémon stickers and special Magikarp-themed minigames were also featured.[38] Additionally, the Magikarp pop-up shop in Cheonggye Stream would also make a return. Two special giveaways were held for visitors, with prizes including LEGO Pokemon sets and a Nintendo Switch 2 + Pokémon Legends Z-A bundle.

Gallery

Logos

  • Pokémon Christmas Run Taipei 2016
    Pokémon Christmas Run Taipei 2016
  • Pokémon Run Singapore 2017
    Pokémon Run Singapore 2017
  • Pokémon Run Carnival Taiwan 2018
    Pokémon Run Carnival Taiwan 2018
  • Pokémon Run Carnival Singapore 2018
    Pokémon Run Carnival Singapore 2018
  • Pokémon Run Indonesia 2024
    Pokémon Run Indonesia 2024
  • Pokémon Run in Hong Kong 2024
    Pokémon Run in Hong Kong 2024
  • Pokémon Run logo from 2025-2026
    Pokémon Run logo from 2025-2026
  • Pokémon Run with SK Telecom (2026) logo
    Pokémon Run with SK Telecom (2026) logo

Merchandise

  • Pokémon Run Indonesia Event merchandise
    Pokémon Run Indonesia Event merchandise

References

  1. ↑ 2015 Hsinchu County Anime Road Run Pokémon RUN - Exercise Go! goSport. Published July 23, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  2. ↑ Hsinchu County Government-Taiwan’s first animation and comic park, Zhudong Animation and Comic Creative Park, opens on a trial basis Posted December 25, 2015. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  3. ↑ [Event Report] Key Secrets for Great Success of Pokémon Run in Taiwan
  4. ↑ PDF of Trainer guide for the Pokémon Run SG | Archived on April 21, 2026.
  5. ↑ Web Archive of Pokémon Run 2017 Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  6. ↑ Channel NewsAsia — Pokemon-themed fun run draws almost 6,000 (archived from the original January 27, 2018)
  7. ↑ Pokemon Run Carnival Confirmed For Taiwan | NintendoSoup Posted November 21, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2026
  8. ↑ A Look At The Pokemon Run Carnival Taiwan Goodies | NintendoSoup Published November 22, 2017. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  9. ↑ Pokemon Run Carnival In Taiwan Stumbles And Trips On Bad Reviews – NintendoSoup Posted January 17, 2018
  10. ↑ Pokémon Run Carnival Singapore 2018. Archived April 21, 2026.
  11. ↑ Pokémon Tretta - Get a Heracross chip at Pokémon Run Carnival 2018 SG!
  12. ↑ Pokemon Co. hosting a Pokemon Run marathon in Thailand | The GoNintendo Archives | GoNintendo Published December 23, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  13. ↑ Pokémon Festival Jakarta 2022 Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  14. ↑ Pokémon Festival 2022 | Pokémon Run. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  15. ↑ Pokémon Run • 2022 | Event Details Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  16. ↑ https://www.asiaruncalendar.com/events/pokemon-5km-fun-run-bali-2024/
  17. ↑ Sun Life Fun Run Presents： Pokémon Run Hong Kong 2024 | Sun Life Hong Kong Published December 05, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  18. ↑ Pikachu's Indonesia Journey in SURABAYA Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  19. ↑ Pokemon Run Indonesia | Yogyakarta - Event Activities Page Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  20. ↑ Pokémon RUN in Jakarta 2024 Finale Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  21. ↑ Facebook Event Held October 26, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  22. ↑ 2024 Pokemon Run | Kaohsiung venue Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  23. ↑ Get Ready to Catch ‘Em All at Malaysia’s First-Ever Pokémon Run in Kuala Lumpur 2024 – Kakuchopurei Published September 24, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  24. ↑ Facebook Post by Pokémon Malaysia. Posted August 15, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
  25. ↑ 2025 -- POKÉMON RUN: PHILIPPINES -- Race Roster -- Registration, Marketing, Fundraising Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  26. ↑ Fun and fitness await at Pokemon Run 2025 - Manila Standard Published February 1, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  27. ↑ (Pabuayon, Angel Chrizel) 10,000 ‘trainers’ race in first-ever Pokémon Run in Philippines | ABC-CBN Published February 9, 2025. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  28. ↑ Pokémon Carnival and Run (Mini Marathon) Mumbai 2025 | Official Pokémon Website Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  29. ↑ []
  30. ↑ Facebook Post by Pokémon India. Posted October 21, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  31. ↑ Pokemon GO to Jeju Island this fall for first-ever Pokemon-themed attractions - The Korea Herald Published on July 18, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Instagram Post by @pokemon_korea_official. Posted September 30, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  33. ↑ Over 100,000 Visitors Flock to Jeju(제주)’s Jungmun for “October Limited Pokémon Experience” - WalkintoKorea - Your Glocal Partner Published October 22, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
  34. ↑ Web Archive of The 24th Ayahashi Marine Road Race Tournament Thank you for your participation! Archived January 20, 2026. Retrieved April 21, 2026
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 포켓몬 런 2026 in Seoul Retrieved April 21, 2026
  36. ↑ Instagram Post by @pokemon_korea_official. Posted January 11, 2026. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  37. ↑ Instagram post by @pokemon_korea_official. Posted February 12, 2026. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
  38. ↑ https://pokemonkorea.co.kr/PokemonRUN2026/menu719
This article is part of Project Real-Life, a Bulbapedia project that aims to write comprehensive articles on Pokémon activities and events experienced in the real world.
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