Marathons are no longer reserved for elite. Small-town, middle-class India wants in

Dehradun: At 19, Amul Saini from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan doesn’t have a coach prepping him for the Dehradun marathon, or a sponsor, or a guaranteed future in running. What he does have is a pair of gifted Brooks running shoes and an unshakable drive. From Panipat, Haryana to Dharampur, Gujarat, he travels to small towns and cities across the country, taking part in marathons. And winning them.

India’s marathon culture is changing.

Saini has just won the Dehradun Ultra Run, a 75 km uphill course on the outskirts of the city. There is no prize money, which comes with the bigger races. His father, a tiling worker, managed to scrounge Rs 2 lakh so that Saini could travel across the country and take part in marathons. Saini’s story may seem like an outlier, but he is part of a much larger shift.

“Every 90 seconds, a new runner joins this movement,” said Vivek Singh, joint managing director of Procam International, organisers of the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM). “In 2004, we started with 10,000 registered runners. Today, in India, 2.5 million people participate in at least one race annually.”

Ever since the Mumbai Marathon was launched 21 years ago, India has seen an explosion in long-distance running. It’s no longer limited to elite athletes and military training. From ultra-marathons in small towns to urban running clubs blending fitness with social life and networking, marathons have become more than just a race—they’re a cultural movement.

In places like Prayagraj and Agra in Uttar Pradesh, where running was once an afterthought, local governments are now stepping up to support events.

Middle-class professionals and senior citizens chasing personal fitness goals are embracing long-distance running. Diverse race formats have been designed to engage participants across age groups and backgrounds. The Indian consumer is spoiled with personalisation – from fitness trackers and apparel to personal coaches and customised training plans.

“There are now more running events than I can remember,” said Venkatraman Pichumani, founder of YouTooCanRun, a company that organises races and publishes marathon analytics. “In 2014, I knew all the events in the country. Now in Bandra (Mumbai), there can be two runs on one day.”

Pichumani, who has been running marathons since 2004, underwent a bypass surgery in 2007. Eleven months later, he ran the Mumbai Marathon. People with all sorts of injuries asked him how he managed it. “If I can do it after a bypass, then you too can run,” he said, explaining the origin of his company’s name.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a big turning point for global running culture. People became more aware of their cardiovascular health, and running had the lowest barrier to entry. The solitary nature of the activity allowed people to isolate while keeping their fitness levels up.

“There are too many health benefits of running to list,” said Dr Ashish Contractor, the medical director of the Mumbai Marathon from 2004 to 2014. “Literally from head to toe, running has benefits in preventive and curative health.”

But it’s the in-built gratification system in marathons that gets people to stick with running, according to Pichumani. People can quantify their progress through fitness trackers, complete a five- or ten-kilometre run, and they instantly want to scale up and do better.

“The gratification is well codified throughout the ecosystem,” he said. “After an event, you get a medal or a t-shirt. Maybe a social media post. You then want more.” Runners post their medal collection in their profile pictures on social media and even dating app profiles.

For Santosh Desai, managing director & CEO of futurebrands, a brand consulting firm, marathons are part of a larger movement to rediscover our bodies. Sedentary lifestyles have us itching to get some movement in.

“We are mainly using our fingertips, scrolling through reels,” said Desai. “The desire, the thrill to seek out physical experiences has gone up.”

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Corporate banners

A key driver of the growth in marathon culture has been corporate involvement, with companies hosting events to enhance brand visibility and promote employee well-being. As an event organiser, Pichumani has witnessed this firsthand. From Airtel, Adani Group and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to Vedanta, IDFC First Bank and Bisleri, India’s marquee companies are all in the game.

The Tata Group is not only championing India’s marathon culture but also elevating it on the global stage. TCS sponsors the New York City Marathon, London Marathon, and Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In 2021, TCS was reported to spend $320 million on marathons over the next eight years. And international brands are investing in India. Japan-based Pokémon utilised Pichumani’s services for a two and five-kilometre run in Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, in February 2025.

But the biggest change has come in the smaller towns. As part of the “Mutual Funds Sahi Hai” campaign, the Association of Mutual Funds enlisted Venkatraman to organise runs in Vizag, Belgaum, Jamshedpur, Jodhpur, and Bhopal in October 2024. It saw the participation of local residents.

The marathon industry has skyrocketed in India. In 2017, it was estimated to be a $200 million business. By 2022, this figure had doubled to approximately $400 million, with $81 million invested across 1,600 events.

Mumbai-based Procam International, arguably the pioneer of the marathon organising industry, has seen this growth from the beginning. The company has organised the Tata Mumbai Marathon, TCS World 10K Bengaluru, Vedanta Half Marathon, and Tata Steel World 25K in Kolkata.

“TMM has grown from 19,000 participants in year one to over 65,000 runners in 2025,” said Singh. “Our mission is to take this running revolution further – to make an ‘active lifestyle’ not just a choice, but a way of life for millions across India.”

Beyond the races themselves, the marathon boom has fuelled a parallel industry, giving rise to specialised event management firms, athleisure brands, sports nutrition companies, and travel services catering to runners.

Event organisers, attracted to the gold rush in smaller towns, are sprouting up across the country. Pichumani is seeing sponsorship money growing, even in smaller cities. His company, YouTooCanRun, is taking advantage of the shift and increasingly organising more marathons outside tier 1 cities.

“The future is in the smaller cities,” said Procam’s Vivek Singh. “Hyper-local events are on the rise.”

Small-town marathons gain pace

Today, a growing number of small-town events are proving that running fever isn’t limited to urban elites. Organizers like PC Kushwala, 34, are driving this change, planting the seeds of running culture in cities where no such events existed a few years ago. He is the king of small-town marathons.

Kushwala has had a long, gruelling day. The second edition of the Dehradun Ultra Run has concluded. This is his second visit to the city in less than two weeks. On 23 February, he organised a free 5K and 10K run in the city with actor Milind Soman as the brand ambassador. He has three runs planned in April (Kathgodam, Prayagraj and Chandigarh), and is on a tight deadline to find sponsors for the events. For now, he needs to oversee the dismantling of the Dehradun marathon pavilion, wait for all volunteers to return from the race route and pack up his equipment.

The first-ever Dehradun Ultra Run in 2024 saw 150 runners take part. This year saw 500, a more than three-fold increase in runners conquering the challenging mountainous course.

Ever since he founded Thrillzone in 2014, Kushwala has been on the move, organising marathons across the country. He has brought running events to Roorkee, Rishikesh and Kathgodam (Uttarakhand), Prayagraj and Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Ludhiana (Punjab). He brings a frontier mentality to India’s marathon mission.

“Wherever there are no running events, I wanted to create ones there,” Kushwala told ThePrint, while fielding calls from a sponsor. “Every year, I want to choose new cities, new villages to bring the culture to.”

A Dehradun native and avid runner (25 half marathons and counting), Kushwala now operates out of Delhi, where he finds it easier to commute to all the towns and cities in North India.

But building awareness around marathons in smaller cities is no easy task. Most people living there haven’t seen running events, and sponsors are used to traditional advertising like billboards and hoardings. But there is an appetite to get involved in marathons. It is one way a small city declares its desire for upward mobility and big city status.

In places like Prayagraj, where Kushwala organised the city’s first-ever marathon in March 2024, the local government stepped in to get the ball rolling.

“The Prayagraj Municipal Corporation gave us the route and hoardings to advertise the event, for free,” said Kushwala. “They saw the value in bringing this running culture to the city.”

The first edition of the Prayagraj marathon saw 800 runners.

Northern Central Railway (NCR), High Court Bar Association and the Allahabad Medical Association (AMA) all supported Kushwala in his endeavour, a shining example of local bodies coming together. Over a 100 doctors from AMA took part in the first run, bringing along with them patients and their families. Police officers volunteered to serve refreshments after the run.

Kushwala did 150 meetings with educational institutes in Prayagraj – a demographic he believed would be most likely to participate – but only two institutes converted. More disappointingly, only 10 people ended up running.

“They hadn’t seen a running event, so how could they participate?” said Kushwala. “But when they finally saw the actual event, they were impressed.”

The company’s social media pages are filled with testimonials, many from euphoric locals thrilled to see a marathon in their hometown.

“Last year, I took part in my first marathon and completed the 5km run,” said Taru Pandey, a Prayagraj resident, on the company’s Instagram page. “To explore my limits, I ran the 10 km this time. I’m so happy.”

In one reel, a group of runners at the Prayagraj marathon dance to Las Ketchup’s The Ketchup Song, conducted by the marathon’s zumba partner. The local police also join in, some even enthusiastically following all the steps.   

Kushwala has a formula. He wants to repeat events every six months in smaller cities, so the public doesn’t forget. In November 2024, he organised a full marathon in Prayagraj, which saw 1,200 runners. This year, two more marathons are scheduled in the city.

Awareness brings the runners, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Registration fees only cover 20-30 per cent of total expenses, which include t-shirts, medals and refreshments. Sponsors are required to cover the deficit.

Kushwala charges anywhere between Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh for a sponsorship. In places like Bodhgaya, where the paying capacity is lower, sponsors are limited. He charged a nominal registration fee of Rs 350 for the participants, but was hard-pressed to find sponsors.

“The biggest problem is sponsorship,” said Kushwala. “Out of every ten events I organise in a year, I incur losses on four of them. Even if I don’t close sponsors before the event, I still go ahead with it.”

But Kushwala’s persistence has paid off. The second edition of the Dehradun Ultra Run had all local sponsors, with the event generating a profit of Rs 3.5 lakh. The first edition incurred a loss of Rs 3 lakh.

In Dehradun, as the town warmed up to the concept of marathons, the composition of the runners also changed. In the first two editions of the regular marathons in Dehradun, 75 per cent of runners came from other states and even a handful from outside the country. In the most recent edition, this ratio was flipped.

“Local residents see the runners passing down the streets they have called home for years,” said Kushwala, smiling at the progress. “Men are also bringing their wives. It’s easier to convince their wives to come along rather than leave the house for three hours.”

Thrillzone is a lean, chaotic workplace. There are only three full-time employees, with the workforce increasing for a couple of days during the events. Kushwala relies on armies of paid volunteers to ensure events run smoothly.

“If you want to do a good event, you need professionals,” said Kushwala. “We mainly get students from event management institutes, conduct their training and finally compensate them for the work.”

The Ultra Run in Dehradun had volunteers every two kilometres along the route, guiding runners and providing refreshments along the way. For every five hundred runners, Thrillzone onboards eighty volunteers.

This setup has enabled Kushwala to run operations smoothly for years. But he isn’t resting on his laurels.

“Within 10-20 years, I want to bring marathons across all smaller cities in the country,” said Kushwala, with a glint in his eyes.

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A tale of two runners

The Mumbai Marathon has been a game-changer for India’s running culture. A growing number of runners now travel both within the country and across the globe to participate in marathons.

Shashi Kapur, 62, didn’t ever think he would travel internationally to run. He had done a couple of half marathons in Mumbai, but never a full marathon. A trip to Lonavala, Maharashtra, in 2016 changed that.

His friends went there to train for the Comrades Marathon, an 88 km ultramarathon in South Africa. He had decided to tag along.

“I ended up running 28 km,” said Kapur, proud of breaking the half marathon barrier of 21 km. “I added an extra seven kilometres without even knowing. That motivated me to do a full marathon.”

The bug had bitten him. He started ticking off the World Marathon Majors (WMM), a competition for runners comprising seven marathons in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York City and Sydney.

“It’s like the grand slam of tennis,” said Kapur, a retail consultant who is also involved with Striders, an India-based fitness training group. He has his sights set on the Boston Marathon in April 2025, to achieve his sixth star. Only 165 Indians have made it to the Six Star Hall of Fame.

Amul Saini, the runner who won the Dehradun Ultra Run 75 km category, has had a different journey. He was born in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, but now lives in Jaipur with his elder brother, a UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) aspirant.

“I came to Jaipur so I could practice,” said Saini. “Every other week, I run between 120 and 150 kilometres alone at Nehru Park.”

Saini has no personal coach or sponsors. For the 19-year-old, his aim is to shed one or two minutes from his completion time at the end of every marathon he runs. In the next couple of months, he aims to run the bigger races where prize money is up for grabs.

It’s the local people he meets at these events that bring a smile to his face. A lady at the Wilson Hill Ultramarathon in Gujarat fed him a local version of Halwa (traditional Indian dessert) at the finish line. Harpreet, whom he met at the Adani marathon in Ahmedabad, gifted him a pair of running shoes.

“He bought me a pair of Brooks running shoes,” said Saini proudly, adding that in the previous marathon in Jaipur, he had injured himself because of the regular shoes he ran in. He debuted the new running shoes at the Bordermen Marathon 2025, a race organised by the Border Security Force that ended at the Wagah Border.

At the Wilson Hill marathon, Saini won Rs 7,000 for a first-place finish in the 50 km. He also came fourth in the AU Jaipur Marathon in February 2024, but he is still waiting on the prize money of Rs 4,000 from that race.

While Kapur prepares for the Boston Marathon, Saini is considering an upcoming half marathon in Jaipur.

“I’m not too focused on that one. I want the longer races,” he said.

For every age

In Bengaluru, elderly women dressed in saris and sneakers wave at the crowd as they make their way along a 4.2 km route. Fathers and grandfathers are cheered on by their children from the sidelines. At the finish line, the senior citizens gather at the pavilion, singing and dancing in celebration.

The TCS World 10K Bengaluru has featured a Senior Citizens’ Run since 2008, ever since the marathon was launched in the city. Three years ago, 800 seniors participated through Vayah Vikas, a Bengaluru-based non-profit that empowers senior citizens. This year, the organisation expects 2,000 seniors to run.

“They are reluctant to go home after they take part in the marathon,” said Pavitra Reddy, Chief Operating Officer of Vayah Vikas. “They are engaged in this event because so many young people participate.”

Reddy has witnessed the transition from self-doubt to a can-do attitude. “Children would call us up asking if the marathon is safe for their parents,” said Reddy. “Now, seniors are enthusiastic about it. The idea that they can’t take health into their own hands has changed completely.”

Long-distance running and philanthropy

Marathons in India are also championing various social causes. The SBI-sponsored Pinkathon, India’s biggest women’s run, raises awareness about breast cancer. The Tata Ultra Marathon in Lonavala promotes sustainability, while the Army Half Marathon supports war veterans.

The most popular marathons – in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi – provide NGOs with the most sought-after currency in the fundraising world: visibility. The TCS World 10K prides itself as the ‘largest sporting philanthropy platform in South India’. Over 650 NGOs have raised Rs 55.37 crore since the marathon started 16 years ago.

“Around 50 per cent of the donations come from corporates, with the remaining coming from individual donors,” said Zamrooda Khanday, CEO of aidbees, the philanthropy partner of the TCS World 10K. “Fundraising has only grown, we haven’t seen it decline.”

The Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) is a different fundraising beast altogether. In 2024, the marathon raised Rs 72.39 crore, more than what the TCS World 10K has raised cumulatively since it began. To date, TMM has raised over Rs 429 crore.

“Long-distance running and philanthropy go hand in hand,” said Sahej Mantri, Assistant Vice President – Campaigns and Communications at United Way Mumbai, the philanthropy partner for TMM since 2009.

All donations to NGOs go through the United Way Mumbai platform, which provides accountability and transparency in the utilisation of raised funds. But even the process of donating has evolved over time.

“Earlier it was signing a cheque for Rs 20,000,” said Mantri. “Now, people are creating an online fundraising page on our platform, asking their friends to donate. Our idea is to not just provide funds to NGOs but also give visibility to their causes.”

Another shift has come in terms of corporate engagement in marathons, especially since it’s an avenue for organisations to utilise CSR (corporate social responsibility) funds. Companies like TCS are also leveraging running to promote fitness among their employees, build morale and improve wellness at the same time. Their ‘Fit4life’ initiative donates to charities based on every kilometre an employee logs into an app. According to Mantri, of the 55,000 runners at the TMM, around 20 per cent were corporate employees.

For TMM, individuals pay a registration fee ranging from Rs 400 (Senior Citizens’ Run) to Rs 3,000 (42 km marathon) for a running bib, a number tag that confirms their participation. Corporations are encouraged to support one of the registered NGOs by opting to run as a team by donating Rs 22,000-25,000 per runner, over and above the individual registration fees. These are donations to NGOs, counted as part of a corporation’s CSR.

NGOs like Jai Vakeel Foundation, a Mumbai-based organisation that supports individuals with Intellectual Disability (ID), have witnessed the change in the landscape.

“In 2013, no corporates ran for us,” said Shakha Kotecha, fundraising manager at Jai Vakeel Foundation. “Now, of the Rs 30 lakh that we raised, one-third came from corporates like AZB and Partners (law firm) and Bain Capital Advisors Pvt Ltd (a private equity fund).”

But it’s the non-monetary aspects of the marathon – the increase in awareness and visibility – that Kotecha values the most. In 2020, 100-125 people ran for Jai Vakeel. In 2025, that number jumped to 350.

“More serious runners are taking up philanthropy,” said Mantri. “In 2004, it was only through the Dream Run (TMM’s six km non-competitive run designed to raise awareness for health and social causes).”

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Run, then rave

Marathoners now form their own communities in different cities. When they meet, it automatically becomes a hangout and mixer of like-minded people. Group running has received a facelift. At the Orange Room, a swanky café in South Delhi, Gen Z runners have taken over. The crowd, sweat still glistening on their necks, danced and sang along to Doja Cat’s Paint The Town Red and Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us, played by a live DJ. The room has been converted into an after-party for a Delhi-based run club, which is growing in popularity by the day.

“Bro, if you had to wake up at 5 am to run, you wouldn’t do it,” said Jyotiraditya, 21, the co-founder of Bhag Club. “Now we give people a reason—maybe find a girlfriend, a boyfriend.”

Run clubs aren’t a new concept. But the quantum of clubs has exploded, and the format is constantly being reinvented. Clubs such as Bhag, catered towards the chronically online Gen Z crowd, are leveraging social media trends and the promise of social connections to gain runners. In Chennai, one group calls itself a drinking club with a running problem.

Jyoti Kumar, part of the Adidas Runners Club in Delhi, said that when he started running in 2016, the only run clubs were led by shoe brands such as Nike and Adidas.

“Now, because of social media, every society and college has its own run club,” he said. “On Sundays in Nehru Park, there are over a thousand people running across 10-15 clubs.”

Kumar has witnessed the changing demographic of runners over the years. Earlier, he would mainly see runners over 40. Now, younger people are taking to the streets, influenced by an increasing awareness of health, and social media.

Bhag Club founders Jyotiraditya and Krishbir, 22, are unapologetically Gen Z. They know their audience, and what it takes to get them to exercise.

Reels on their Instagram page capture vibrant young faces mid-run, mingling at after-parties, taking part in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. In pre-run interviews, male runners admit to getting distracted by women in short shorts. Woman members, giggling, say they hate it when men approach them to flirt. Co-founder Krishbir asks members, ‘If Bhag Club was a dating club, what would your bio be?’, to which one runner answers ‘Stamina is key’. One post is even titled ‘Maybe you didn’t find your soulmate on Hinge because they’re at Bhag Club’.

“Most people who are running marathons are between 35 and 40,” said Jyotiraditya. “We noticed that people our age didn’t do any healthy activities to hang out. Only bars and clubs.”

Combining health with the social element is key to Bhag’s success. Their Women’s Day event included a pre-run cold brew shot and a post-run R&B music session. They even created their own IP (Intellectual Property), called ‘After Hours’.

“First you go for a run, then you rave,” said Jyotiraditya. “We even had a singles mixer: 25 men and 25 women.”

Bhag Club has partnered with brands for some of these events. Liquid IV, a hydration brand, sponsored a ‘Re-hydration Rave’ at Dirty Good, a café in Delhi, after the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon in February 2025. They still don’t charge any fee from their members.

“Whoever signed up for the marathon through Bhag could get free entry,” said Krishbir, adding that the event was a tremendous success. “It felt like a line outside a nightclub.”

It’s not all fun and games though. Bhag is developing some serious runners, many of whom achieved an under two-hour time at the recent Delhi Marathon.

“Lots of pro marathon runners give us shit about destroying the sanctity of the sport. But the marathon gave us the credibility to show it’s not just a social club, but a serious run club,” said Jyotiraditya.

Runners from the old guard, like Jyoti Kumar, think the new format run clubs are doing a great job promoting running.

“Even if they are doing it for the trends, if people are taking up running, it’s beneficial,” said Kumar. “Earlier, people would only take up running if they were trying to get into the Army or police. Now the awareness is coming, we can see that change.”

On 8 September 2024, over 1,100 people turned up for a Bhag Club warm-up at Nehru Park, New Delhi. It attracted the attention of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which claimed the club didn’t have the required permission. The founders escaped with a warning.

“The police came to arrest me and Krishbir,” said Jyotiraditya, laughing at the scale their club had achieved. “Even if Pakistan were to attack India, come rain or shine, people are coming for Bhag Club.”

Personalised training, options in apparel 

As marathons have surged in popularity, some runners are ditching groups for personalised coaching, leveraging both experts and technology. It’s the age of bio-hacking your body, and people armed with disposable income are leaving no stone unturned.

“People are going for structured one-on-one training plans,” said Sneha, 40, a running coach with SohFit, a Mumbai-based fitness program. “They are more aware of finish times, speed, improving their performance and aerobic running.”

According to her, 15 years ago, there wasn’t much focused coaching. Group running, organised through WhatsApp, was ubiquitous and a one-size-fits-all model.

“When I first started running as part of a group, I operated below my potential,” said Sneha. “I realised I needed to find a coach, but it was hard to find one in India 10 years ago.”

Now, the coaching landscape in India has matured. Experienced coaches are offering training plans based on the type of marathon their clients want to run. Sneha offers a 12-week program for 21 km marathons and a 16-week program for 42 km marathons.

Technology is doubling as a personal coach, with both serious and casual runners using fitness tracking apps like Strava and devices like the Apple Watch and Garmin to analyse key metrics such as heart rate, calories burned, distance covered, and pace per kilometre.

“You don’t need running groups anymore,” said Dhananjay Yellurkar, 62, a heart attack survivor turned marathoner from Mumbai. “You have coaches sitting in Gurugram who can help you.”

Yellurkar still tracks all his runs in an Excel file, shunning the new-age technology available in the market. But he admits that running equipment has become more widely available, offering runners more options for personalisation.

“Till 2014, whenever I went for international marathons, I purchased running apparel from the expos there,” said Yellurkar. “Now I see everything available in India, including nutritional bars.”

He recalled how most running shoes, barring Nike and Adidas, were not easily available in India. “Now Asics sponsors the Mumbai Marathon,” he said.

The demand for more running apparel options has even sprouted start-ups. Ayesha Bedi, 27, founded Uphill in 2025 to create high-utility products for running in the Indian climate.

“Because fitness is becoming sexy, the overlap between fitness and fashion is becoming huge,” Bedi told ThePrint. “I’m bullish on running. I think there is space for going high performance with an Indian brand.”

Uphill is creating vests with ventilation and meshwork, customised to different runs. Bedi said her products are not going to be cotton-heavy, like those made by sportswear giants, thereby setting them apart.

“Different distances require different hydration levels,” she said. “I have a vest for a 2-5 km run, another for a 10-21 km run and a third for people running full marathons.”

With running becoming more than just a sport – blending elements of performance, technology, and lifestyle – brands like Uphill are tapping into a growing community that seeks both function and customisation in their gear.

At the pavilion of the Dehradun Ultra Run, physiotherapy volunteers wait for the last runners to cross the finish line. Kushwala hired all six of them from Dolphin Institute, a private college in Dehradun. One of the volunteers, 23-year-old Tanu, has never seen an event like this in her city.

“I can’t believe it has taken a marathon to get people to visit my town,” she said.

(Edited by Theres Sudeep)