GCash Run 2026: A wellness festival for the green hero community

Last year’s inaugural GCash Run proved to be more than a social fitness gathering by planting trees for every sign-up to pave the way toward a more sustainable future. This year, the event returned not only as a purpose-driven run but also as a full-fledged wellness festival.

GCash has been playing its part in protecting the environment for years with GForest, wherein every transaction earns green energy points. These can be redeemed to plant trees and contribute to a greener future, making users “GForest Heroes.” Last year, GForest Heroes participated in the first GCash Run that led to the planting of 76,000 mangroves trees across 11 hectares in the Negros Region. Last March 22, the event returned for its second edition along Ayala Avenue, gathering runners of all levels — including pets — and planting even more trees.

Runners fill the streets as the energy steadily builds with each stride — showing how the GCash Run champions shared experiences and a sustainable future.

“In partnership with Silliman University, we’ve reached a milestone of 40,500 trees planted and united eco-conscious brands and partners to share advocacies and inspire collective action,” Winsley Bangit, Group Head for New Businesses of Mynt, the parent company of GCash, said during the event. “Regardless of the distance, the first step today was a giant leap for a greener and sustainable tomorrow.”

This year’s GCash Run featured a range of activities and attractions highlighting diverse passions and advocacies, including music, wellness, sustainable shopping, and farm-to-table products.

After the run, participants explored the Green Hero Village and Eco Marketplace, sharing meaningful moments with fellow runners. Overall, the event combined fitness, community, and advocacy, leaving participants with a deeper appreciation for sustainability and shared experiences beyond the run.

It’s the ultimate lifestyle upgrade, with lots of exciting reasons to make a difference. Here are a few others that made GForest Heroes say “ready, set, grow!” at GCash Run 2026.

1. Record-breaking impact — GCash Run 2026 was a huge opportunity for everyone to join a bigger cause. Since 2019, GForest Heroes have contributed to the planting of 4.2 million trees, reforesting almost 19,000 hectares of land (larger than Quezon City), and supporting 15,000 farming families. GCash proves that heroes are made, not born.

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The top 3 women and men podium finishers are recognized for conquering the race in record time. Their hard work, consistency, and dedication are on full display, the GForest Hero Way. Left to right: Nicole Kurt Anne Diloy, Edna Magtubo, Maricar Camacho, Ritchie Estampador, James Darrel Orduña, and Jonathan Pulido

The top 3 women and men podium finishers are recognized for conquering the race in record time. Their hard work, consistency, and dedication are on full display, the GForest Hero Way.

2. Sustainably stylish with paw-sitive energy — At GCash Run 2026, GForest Heroes got to wear capes and flex their sustainable singlets made from recycled materials. Moreover, pets joined the movement in a 1km run. Alongside their humans, they sported their bandanas as well, reminding everyone that sustainability is a family affair, including furbabies.

3. Cashing-in on the vibe — GCash welcomed everyone to its “Green Hero Village,” where runners won GCash Credits and recycled with the PET Bottle Collector. From using their 100% recycled GCash Cards to visiting eco-friendly MSME booths that were rewarding in nature, it’s all about saving the planet all around.

At the Green Hero Village, runners take time to explore booths such as the GForest Booth, PET Bottle Collector, Medal Engraving, and GInsure Pet Insurance — each activity provides a learning experience about eco-friendly practices and ways to give back even after the run.

4. Mark of a hero — From in-app eco-actions to on-ground momentum, GForest Heroes demonstrated how digital transactions drive real-world environmental outcomes with their Digital Tree certificates. Apart from ringing the PR Bell, runners immortalized their “Hero Era” via medal engraving stations, while 10k finishers took home a special towel as a badge of honor, which also reflect their commitment to the environment.

A few stars and notable GForest Heroes explored the Green Hero Village. The crowd comes together not only to run, but to connect, celebrate, and take part in something bigger than the event itself. Left to right: Edrence Rutagines, Nicole Cordovez, Zeti Cuenca, and Issabelle Coronel

5. Gamified growth – This year, the race once again served as the ultimate “Level Up” through GForest where cashing in, sending money, paying bills, buying load, and cashing in earn green energy points that can be redeemed to plant virtual trees– proving that fitness and forest-building are the new power duo.

Moreover, sustainability took center stage at the village with 22 eco-marketplace partners, including araro.gelato, Kangkong King, Odd Cafe, Commune Cafe & Bar, new Hatchin Trading Corp, Planted Bodega, Cafe Leopoldo, Abel Philippines, Cut the Craft, Eco Shift Essentials, Kaunlaran Fabric, Wonder Home, Maginhawa Eco-Store, Pili Ani, Malingkat Weaves, For Keeps Clean Beauty, Plato Wraps, Vitargo, Rural Rising, and Colors and Petals. Also part of the fold were Maginhawa Eco-Store, araro.gelato, Planted Bodega, and Odd Cafe. Meanwhile, the cashless eco merchant zone showcased the convenience of GCash for Business solutions for runners, such as SoundPay, PocketPay, and EasyPOS, as they purchased sustainable products, healthy food, and eco-friendly goods.

Beyond the race itself, runners are seen showing off their 10K finisher towel, cooling down with friends, exploring the village, and ringing the PR bell that highlight how the event becomes a full wellness festival experience.

GCash Run 2026 was made possible by the strong support from advocacy organizations and corporate partners such as ABS-CBN Foundation, Angat Buhay, Berdeng Kalabaw, Caritas Manila, CRIBS Foundation, One Million Lights, Team Manila, UNICEF, WWF, and Zolo.

The event also had a robust network of sponsors and partners, including eTap Solutions, Globe, IKEA Philippines, Pay&Go, and Smart as Platinum Sponsors; BPI MS Insurance and Standard Insurance as Silver Sponsors; and ECPay, Park Access, REV, and Singlife as Bronze Sponsors. Lastly, Corporate Run Club Partners include ATRAM, ECPay, eTap Solutions, Globe, STTelemedia Global Data Centres, Pay&Go, PDAX, Seapeak, and Tech Mahindra.

At GCash Run 2026, the finish line was just the start of a more purposeful, sustainable journey.

Learn more about GCash by visiting www.gcash.com.

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