International elites and regional influencers join the 2026 Dili International Marathon
DÍLI, 31 July 2026 (TATOLI) – The Organising Committee of the 2026 Dili International Marathon confirms an expanded ASEAN+ elite and influencer engagement for this year’s edition, underlining Timor-Leste’s growing role as the region’s next ASEAN Chair.
International elites from Portugal, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia — including a six-strong travelling contingent from the Australian Defence Force — will compete in the Marathon and Half-Marathon categories, while regional content creators will amplify the event across Southeast Asia and the wider Asia-Pacific.
Additional elites from Indonesia and Australia round out the international Marathon and Women’s Half-Marathon fields, with final line-ups confirmed at the official bib-collection window (5 — 7 August 2026) – Rosa Mota’s incredible profile and history as a long distance also sets her as the events most famous runner.
Competing alongside the Timorese national squad on Saturday 8 August 2026 will be a deliberately pan-regional cohort of international elites.
Two national-squad runners from the People’s Republic of China — Bangliu Zhang and Jiali Wang — will travel to Dili to contest the Marathon, with elite runners from Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia filling out the international field.
A six-strong Australian Defence Force (ADF) travelling contingent will also concentrate in Dili to participate and compete, reinforcing the people-to-people and institutional bridge between Timor-Leste and regional partners.
Beyond the elite field, the 2026 Dili International Marathon will host a curated cohort of regional content creators whose audiences span the whole region. They will share the route, the atmosphere and the Timorese hospitality with their communities — turning race day into a regional story.
Creators will participate in the 5 km Fun Run and the media-accredited program at the DIM EXPO and Awards Ceremony, alongside the elite contingent.
Saturday the 8th August is structured so that the ASEAN+ elites and regional creators share the start, the route and the finish with Timorese national-squad athletes — not simply against them. From the 4:45 a.m. muster window to the ceremonial horn and the Awards Ceremony in the evening, the day’s program is built around visibly shared lanes, shared water stations and a shared finish-line moment on Dili’s central avenue.
“When the runners line up on Saturday 8 August, the field on Dili’s avenue will look the way we want DIM to look — Timorese, Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Australian, Melanesian, Portuguese and friends from across the region, running together. This is the ASEAN+ spirit we want Timor-Leste to carry into its 2029 Chair year.” said Sean Borrell, Event Director of the 2026 Dili international Marathon.
The Dili International Marathon is Timor-Leste’s flagship mass-participation running event, organised annually around the country’s national independence commemorations.
The 2026 edition runs 4 — 8 August 2026 and features the Marathon, Half-Marathon, 10 km (Para-Athletes) and 5 km Fun Run. Race-day start times: 5:30 a.m. — Marathon; 5:45 a.m. — Half-Marathon; 6:00 a.m. — 10 km Para-Athletes; 7:00 a.m. — Fun Run.
Theme: “Love Our Forests and Wildlife / Hadomi Ita Nia Ai-laran no Balada Fuik Sira.”
TATOLI
