Top 5 Marathon Events in India

India has experienced a surge in the number of running events in the last few years owing to the growing interest of people in the sport. We have seemed to pick up the global trend of long-distance running. Many big cities have had at least one marathon named after them and the incidence of such events has become more frequent in a year. Here are a few major marathon events that took place in India:

TATA MUMBAI MARATHON

• Also known as the Tata Marathon, it is a yearly international event organized in Mumbai and sponsored by Tata Group.
• It is held on the third Sunday of January every year.
• It is the largest marathon in Asia with also the largest amount of participants taking to the streets.
• To add another feather to its cap, it also has the biggest cash prize for the winner, that is, $405,000.
• Mumbai marathon became an IAAF Silver Label Road Race (International Association of Athletics Foundation, now known as World Athletics) in 2009. And, later next year got the gold label then again in 2019.
• The event comprises six different races: Full Marathon (42.195 km), Half Marathon (21.097 km), Dream Run (6.6 km), Senior Citizens Race (4.7 km), Champions with Disability category (2.1 km) and a newly added Open 10K run.

Tata Marathon is about a lot more than just running.

AIRTEL DELHI HALF MARATHON

• The marathon was established in 2005. The event held in 2009 attracted people who competed in one of the four races, that is, the half marathon, the 7 km Great Delhi Run, a 4.3 km run for senior citizens, and a 3.5 km wheelchair race.
• ADHF has an AIMS certified course and is also listed as Gold Label Road Race by the World Athletics Association.
• The event is considered one of the fastest courses in the world and has time after time recorded top-five Half Marathons in the world.
• ADHF has several philanthropy partners and fundraisers who have raised a massive total of Rs.76.82 crore for aid and charitable purposes. ADHF believes in the idea of “running for a cause”.
• It is for both elite runners and mass participation.

It is indeed a colorful display of humanity and determination towards fitness that has been inspiring people by breaking records with every event.

GOA RIVER MARATHON 

• This race is held beside the scenic Zuari river in Goa. Extending beyond the river view, city roads and trails shaded by trees will keep you engaged.
• It is recognized as one of the 10 great marathons by the National Geographic and among top five of India’s by the DNA Newspaper.
• This marathon has an AIMS-certified route as well.
• This year, the marathon will be held on December 11 and will begin from the village of Chicalim with  a 42.195 KM run
• There will also be “How-To” workshops to help beginners.
• Remarkable arrangements made available, such as, medical aid, hydration and traffic management.

The organizers try their best to encourage runners to have as much fun as possible.

KAVERI TRAIL MARATHON

• It’s a half-marathon race that starts from the Ozone Resort and follows the trail along the side of the Kaveri river.
• The marathon has also added a 5K and 10K race for enthusiastic runners. The 10K race is held on the Saturday of the KTM week and the half marathon and the marathon are on Sundays.
• The course of this marathon is a pure trail and, therefore, uneven It’s a fluctuating path that elevates and dips, something you don’t experience immediately but only when you notice sudden changes in breathing and sudden stings in the quadriceps.
• The finishers of the race get the special edition finisher t-shirts and a unique art on it, made by frequent podium finisher, Athreya Chidambi.

A unison of people shouting “Don’t stop running, finish strong!” is a common phenomenon at the race. The runners have a playful response of their own to it as well, that is, “Can I stop now?”

GO HERITAGE RUN – HAMPI

• Go Heritage Runs is an award-winning series of fun runs organized across India’s different heritage locations, throughout the year.
• The aim of these marathons is to promote heritage locations and spread awareness of India’s cultural variety by making the runners explore scenic monuments through the course of the run.
• The races are not time-bound. They are organized on a Sunday including different run formats such as 5K, 10K, up to the distance of a half marathon (21.0975 km)
• The Go Heritage runs are acclaimed marathons and have three of its runs recognized by Conde Nast Traveller in its Top scenic marathons in India list.
• Most races begin at Hampi bazaar streets and take you across several temples, carved gateways and old marketplaces.

It is said to take you on a journey from the 1st century to the 14th in a matter of hours.

Every marathon has its unique experience to give to a runner, but with every completed marathon, we all can always dream of a bigger goal both in sports as well as life.