26,500 runners, 184 tribal youth and new Inclusive Run mark 15th edition of NMDC Hyderabad Marathon

Participants of the 15th annual NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2026 in Hyderabad on Sunday. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

The 15th edition of the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon concluded on Sunday and saw over 26,500 runners in various categories including Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K, 5K and Inclusive Run.

The main events, which included the full marathon, half marathon and 10km, were held on Sunday, while the 5km and inclusive run were run on Saturday. About 11,000 runners participated in the full and half marathon and elite categories, and nearly 9,000 runners in the 10K. The 5K and Inclusive Run combined attracted around 6,500 participants.

Runners from Ethiopia, Kenya and India put in strong performances in the elite races. The winner of the women’s elite full marathon was Emane Seifu from Ethiopia. Nirmaben Thakor was a leading woman from India.

A participant in the 15th NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2026 in Hyderabad on Sunday. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

Participants of the 15th annual NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2026 in Hyderabad on Sunday. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

A key initiative of this year’s marathon was the introduction of the Inclusive Run, organized in cooperation with the Adventure Behind Barriers Foundation. Around 300 differently-abled participants participated, including 205 PWDs, 37 wheelchair users from Telangana and Bengaluru cricket teams, 14 dwarf participants from Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, visually impaired runners and others with disabilities.

Another highlight was the participation of 184 tribal youth from Chhattisgarh, where NMDC runs mining projects. Runners were selected from villages and remote areas and participated in different categories of the marathon for the first time.

The marathon also continued its charitable initiatives, with organizers saying it supported 40 NGOs and raised more than ₹2 million for various charities through the event.

A large number of people participated in the 15th annual NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2026 in Hyderabad on Sunday. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

Prizes were awarded to the top six players, with the winner receiving ₹3,000, followed by ₹2.5 lakh for second and ₹2,00,000 for third. The fourth, fifth and sixth place runners received ₹1.5, ₹1 lakh and ₹75,000 respectively.

The organizers have set a target to make the Hyderabad Marathon carbon neutral within the next three years. As part of this effort, 35% of runners opted out of t-shirts, while the use of stretchy necklines was limited.

Published – 30 Aug 2026 21:17 IST