“Overly strict” race kit claiming rules anger marathon runners

Participants question why kits cannot be claimed by representatives or released on race day.

Excitement for the upcoming 2026 Galaxy Manila Marathon, set for gunstart on Independence Day, June 12, has been overshadowed by frustration after organizers enforced strict race kit claiming rules that many participants say are difficult, costly, and inefficient to comply with.

Under the announced guidelines, race kits, which typically include race bibs, shirts, timing chips, and other runner essentials, must be claimed personally ahead of the event, with organizers prohibiting both representative claiming and race-day release.

The hidden cost for provincial athletes

The policy drew backlash from provincial runners who said the lack of race-day claiming forces some participants to make an additional trip to Manila days before the marathon, adding transportation, lodging, and leave expenses on top of registration fees.

Runners traveling from Visayas, Mindanao, Northern Luzon, and other provinces said they had already booked flights, buses, hotels, and leave from work before the advisory was clarified.

Some participants also questioned why the restrictions were announced only later in the process, while others urged organizers to allow race-day claiming or authorized representatives for runners traveling long distances.

Several commenters also pointed out that other major races usually offer delivery options or more flexible claiming arrangements for out-of-town participants.

Organized by RunRio, the Galaxy Manila Marathon is being positioned as a major, first-of-its-kind urban marathon route in Metro Manila, with the course set to run along EDSA instead of the usual closed-loop circuits inside areas like the Mall of Asia or Roxas Boulevard.