The Delhi Half Marathon 2026 takes place on Sunday, 18 October, with the start and finish at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi. It is the 21st edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race with a total prize purse of US$260,000.

Procam International, the race promoter, announced a 42-member Indian elite field on 8 October. Harmanjot Singh, the fastest Indian in the field, leads the men, while former champions Lili Das and Kavita Yadav lead the women. This guide therefore covers the date, the race categories, the Indian elite runners, the prize money, the records and every recent winner. In addition, we will add the results here on race day.

Delhi Half Marathon 2026 date and venue

The race is on Sunday, 18 October 2026. As in recent editions, it starts and finishes at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Procam International organises the event, and the official race website carries the race-day information for registered runners.

The Delhi Half Marathon is one of India’s biggest running events. For example, the 2025 edition had 39,513 participants, including 9,709 women, according to Outlook. The elite race also carries World Athletics Gold Label status, so it draws Kenyan and Ethiopian runners every year.

Race categories at the Delhi Half Marathon 2026

Registrations opened on 23 July for six categories. However, each category had its own closing date or slot limit, so check the official website for any places left.

Delhi Half Marathon 2026 Indian elite field

The Indian elite field has 22 men and 20 women. Procam named the leading athletes in a press release on 8 October, reported by ANI. In short, the men’s race is a contest between a debutant with the best time and the runners who stood on the podium last year.

Indian elite men to watch

Harmanjot starts as the favourite on paper. His best is more than three minutes faster than Kiran Matre’s. Earlier this season, he also traded the lead with Gulveer Singh in the Inter-State 5000m final. Karkera, meanwhile, is in good form as well; he ran a 10,000m personal best on the track at the Indian Athletics Series in April.

Indian elite women to watch

Two former champions, then, meet two steeplechasers who are still new to the distance. Ankita comes into the race in form, too: she won the 1500m at the National Open Athletics Championships in New Delhi this month.

Delhi Half Marathon 2026 prize money

The total prize purse is US$260,000. Most of it goes to the international elite race. For Indian runners, however, there is a separate Indian elite prize, and it is the same for men and women.

In addition, Procam has launched PRIDE (Procam Rewards for Indian Distance Elites) with this edition. It is a merit-based rewards scheme for verified Indian elite distance runners who enter any Procam event, according to Telangana Today.

Course records and Indian elite records

Both overall course records date from the 2020 race, which Ethiopian runners won in very fast times. The Indian elite records are older still.

Can the Indian men’s record fall this year? It would take a big step from Harmanjot. His best of 1:01:46 is still 76 seconds slower than Sable’s mark. Even so, the Rs 1,00,000 bonus gives every Indian elite runner a reason to go for it.

Delhi Half Marathon winners since 2019

East African runners have won every international elite race in recent years. Notably, Olympic and world champion Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda won the men’s race in 2024.

Delhi Half Marathon 2025 results: a quick recap

Last year’s race took place on 12 October 2025. Kenya won both elite races, and that had happened only once before, in 2006. Alex Matata won the men’s race in 59:50, while Lilian Rengeruk beat Ethiopia’s Melal Siyoum Biratu by one second in the women’s race, as Outlook reported.

Two of last year’s men’s podium finishers, Matre and Karkera, are back in 2026. As a result, Harmanjot’s debut gives the Indian race its most open look in years.

Shaunae Miller-Uibo is the event ambassador

Two-time Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas is the International Event Ambassador for the Delhi Half Marathon 2026, Procam announced on 24 September. She won Olympic gold in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and she became world 400m champion in 2022.

Delhi Half Marathon 2026 results on race day

Provisional results are due by 5 PM on race day, according to the official race page. Timing certificates follow on Sports Timing Solutions after 21 working days.

Meanwhile, Indian distance running is having a strong year. For example, Sawan Barwal set a national record of 2:11:37 to win marathon silver at the Asian Games in September. You can also find all of India’s medals in our Asian Games 2026 athletics results.

Sandeep Kumar of Haryana and Ramandeep Kaur of Railways won the men’s and women’s marathon race walk titles respectively at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships 2026, held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi.

The marathon race walk events took place on the final day of the four-day championships, which ran from October 8 to 11, 2026.

Sandeep Kumar Wins Men’s Marathon Race Walk Gold

Sandeep Kumar claimed the men’s marathon race walk title after completing the 42.195km event in 3:19:52.00.

Vishvendra Singh of Madhya Pradesh finished second in 3:21:11.00 to secure the silver medal, while Resham Midhun of the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) took bronze in 3:22:46.00.

Sandeep finished 1 minute and 19 seconds ahead of Vishvendra. The gap between the silver and bronze medallists was 1 minute and 35 seconds.

National record holder Ram Baboo did not finish the race, according to the results provided.

Men’s Marathon Race Walk Results

• Gold: Sandeep Kumar (Haryana) — 3:19:52.00
• Silver: Vishvendra Singh (Madhya Pradesh) — 3:21:11.00
• Bronze: Resham Midhun (SSCB) — 3:22:46.00

Ramandeep Kaur Takes Women’s Marathon Race Walk Title

Ramandeep Kaur won the women’s marathon race walk title with a reported time of 3:59:23.00.

Sonal Sukhwal of Rajasthan secured the silver medal in 4:16:06.00, while her state-mate Deepika Sharma finished third in 4:22:55.00 to claim bronze.

According to the results provided, five athletes entered the event, but only three completed the race, leaving all three finishers on the podium.

Ramandeep finished 16 minutes and 43 seconds ahead of Sukhwal. The difference between the silver and bronze medallists was 6 minutes and 49 seconds.

Women’s Marathon Race Walk Results

• Gold: Ramandeep Kaur (Railways, as reported) — 3:59:23.00
• Silver: Sonal Sukhwal (Rajasthan) — 4:16:06.00
• Bronze: Deepika Sharma (Rajasthan) — 4:22:55.00

Marathon Race Walk Concludes National Open Championships

The men’s and women’s marathon race walk competitions formed part of the final day’s programme at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships in New Delhi.

Sandeep Kumar and Ramandeep Kaur emerged as the respective winners, while Vishvendra Singh, Resham Midhun, Sonal Sukhwal and Deepika Sharma completed the medal podiums in their events.

Nagoya: Five months ago, Sawan Barwal achieved something Indian marathon runners had been chasing for 48 years.

On a cold April morning in Rotterdam, the Army runner from Himachal Pradesh broke Shivnath Singh’s long-standing national marathon record. He clocked 2:11:58, becoming the first Indian to run under 2 hours and 12 minutes in the marathon.

The performance finally erased a record that had stood since 1978.

On Saturday in Nagoya, Barwal went even faster. This time, he also secured an Asian Games medal.

Barwal won silver in the men’s marathon at the 2026 Asian Games, clocking 2:11:37 to improve his own national record by 21 seconds.

More importantly, he ended India’s 44-year wait for a medal in the Asian Games marathon.

For a runner competing in only his second marathon, the achievement marks a remarkable rise.

Speaking to NNIS Sports after the race, Barwal said the medal was important because he had won it for India. However, he was already looking ahead to his next challenge.

“I will try even harder next time.”

From a 48-Year-Old Record to a New National Mark

When Barwal arrived in Rotterdam in April, he faced a different kind of challenge.

Shivnath Singh’s national record of 2:12:00 had survived for 48 years. It had become a major benchmark in Indian athletics, resisting generations of marathon runners.

Barwal, however, had never competed in a marathon before.

Despite that, he finished in 2:11:58 and broke the record.

The closing kilometres made the achievement even more dramatic. Barwal struggled badly near the finish and briefly blacked out.

He fell but got back up and completed the race. His time of 2:11:58 was enough to finally replace Singh at the top of the Indian record list.

Five months later, Barwal has lowered that mark once again.

2:11:37.

This time, he also won an Asian Games silver medal.

A Marathon Career That Has Barely Begun

Barwal’s rapid rise is particularly remarkable because the marathon is a relatively new chapter in his career.

The Mandi-born Army athlete previously competed in shorter events, including the 5,000m, 10,000m and half marathon.

He then made the move to the marathon, covering the full distance of 42.195km.

His first marathon produced a national record. Now, his second has brought an Asian Games silver and another national record.

In Nagoya, Barwal stayed with the leading group deep into the race. He was second at the halfway point.

After the 35km mark, the contest had effectively narrowed to three runners.

Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita eventually made the decisive move to win gold in 2:10:49. China’s Peiyou Feng took bronze in 2:12:13.

Barwal held on to finish second and secure silver.

Barwal Ends India’s 44-Year Wait for an Asian Games Marathon Medal

With his silver medal, Barwal became only the fourth Indian to win a men’s marathon medal at the Asian Games.

India’s previous medals in the event had all come in New Delhi.

At the inaugural Asian Games in 1951, Chhota Singh won gold, while Surat Singh Mathur claimed bronze.

Later, in 1982, Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won another bronze medal.

Barwal has now added his name to that list. He is also the first Indian men’s marathon medallist at the Asian Games outside India.

His silver in Nagoya marks a significant moment for Indian distance running.

The Significance of Shivnath Singh’s Record

There is an important connection between Barwal’s two national-record performances.

When he broke Singh’s record in April, the achievement went beyond the numbers on the clock.

Shivnath Singh had run 2:12:00 in 1978. His outstanding career also included an 11th-place finish at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

For almost half a century, Indian marathon runners had tried to break that mark.

Barwal finally did it in Rotterdam.

Former Olympian Nitendra Singh Rawat said after the race that breaking such a long-standing record could encourage other Indian marathoners to target the new benchmark.

He also stressed the need for Indian distance runners to compete more often on fast courses and against stronger international fields.

According to Rawat, these opportunities are important if Indian runners are to move towards the 2:09 range.

Now, Barwal has given them another national record to chase.

“I Will Try Even Harder Next Time”

For Barwal, the Asian Games silver is not the finish line.

Speaking to NNIS Sports after the race, he said the medal was important because he had won it for India. However, he also made it clear that he wants to achieve much more for the country.

“I will try even harder next time.”

After just two marathons, Barwal leaves Nagoya with an Asian Games silver and another national record.

His 2:11:37 performance has made him one of India’s leading distance runners and ended a 44-year wait for an Asian Games marathon medal.

April may not be peak marathon season in India, but the calendar remains active with a mix of full marathons, trail races and major road events. Here’s a clean look at key races to track this month, along with what it takes to get on the start line.

• Kaveri Trail Marathon (Coorg | April 11–12)
  Distances: 42.2K, 21.1K, 10K
  A scenic but demanding trail race along the Cauvery river. Open registration, but the full marathon is best suited for experienced runners due to terrain and humidity. No strict time qualification required.
• Varanasi Marathon (Varanasi | April 12)
  Distances: 42.2K, 21.1K, 10K, 5K
  A traditional road race with broad participation. Open to all, though full marathon runners are typically expected to have prior long-distance experience.
• Bhubaneswar City Marathon (Bhubaneswar | April 12)
  Distances: 42.2K, 21.1K, 10K
  One of the more structured city marathons in eastern India. Entry is open; some categories may recommend timing certificates for competitive slots.
• Tawang Marathon (Arunachal Pradesh | April 5)
  Distances: Marathon, Half Marathon
  High-altitude race with limited field size. No formal qualification standards, but runners should be prepared for altitude and cold conditions.
• Kutch Desert Trail Run (Kutch | April 4–5)
  Distances: 10K to 50K ultra
  A niche endurance event across desert terrain. Open entry, but longer distances are geared toward experienced ultra runners.
• TCS World 10K Bengaluru (Bengaluru | April 26)
  Distances: 10K
  A World Athletics Gold Label race. Amateur categories are open, but faster runners may need to submit timing proof for seeded entries.

April’s schedule leans toward accessibility, but conditions — heat, terrain, altitude — make preparation the real qualifier.