NMDC Hyderabad Marathon will include 184 tribal runners
Runners are training hard for Hyderabad Marathon, says NMDC. | Photo Credit: Arrangements
As many as 184 runners, mostly belonging to tribal communities, from Bastar and nearby areas in Chhattisgarh will participate in the 15th NMDC Hyderabad Marathon on Sunday.
Hailing from far-flung areas including Bailadila, Sukma, Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur and Jagdalpur, the marathon will be their first experience of competing in a big city marathon. The contingent includes six women runners, the NMDC said.
Many trained barefoot on village roads and rugged hills around Bailadila, with limited access to proper running equipment and organized sports facilities.
On August 30, they will find themselves in a different environment – running alongside thousands of participants in one of India’s major urban marathons, thanks to the support of the public sector. It sponsored their training and provided them with running shoes, running kits and other essential equipment in addition to providing accommodation and transport.
Various groups of runners have been training since August 17, including young runners on the hills around Kirandul and Bacheli. “They come from far-flung places and have been receiving training since August 17,” said Vivek, the coach, adding that the group has runners with varying levels of experience.
The Hyderabad Marathon is an opportunity to showcase and identify young sporting talents who have largely developed outside India’s mainstream sports infrastructure, the NMDC said in a release.
“Seeing young runners from the remote and tribal communities of Bastar compete on a major national platform is deeply encouraging,” said CMD Amitava Mukherjee.
NMDC Hyderabad Marathon Race Director Rajesh Vetcha said, “We hope the marathon will give them confidence, experience and perhaps a platform to discover their potential as athletes.”
The 184 runners will be part of a field of roughly 32,000 registered participants across the marathon’s various categories. A small group of runners with professional experience will take part in the 42.2 km full marathon and the 21.1 km half marathon. Most of the 184 runners will take part in the 10km run, while there will also be a 5km run for beginners.
Published – 28 Aug 2026 21:35 IST