Chandigarh Marathon Goes International
The 1st Chandigarh International Marathon 2026 on March 1 drew 3,500 participants, including 38 international athletes from 8 countries. Punjab Governor Gulab Kataria and Chandigarh University Chancellor Satnam Sandhu flagged off the race. The event marks Chandigarh's entry into the international marathon circuit.
The event boasted a total prize pool of Rs 1,00,16,000, with the top prize for the full marathon winners in both the men's and women's categories being Rs 7 lakh each. The prize money extended to various age categories, from 18 years to over 50, in addition to the overall top finishers in each competitive segment. Ethiopian runners dominated the full marathon, with Olbana Negasa Yadate winning the men's race with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 41 seconds. Meskerem Tesfaye Fikadu, also from Ethiopia, secured the women's title, crossing the finish line at 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 14 seconds. The marathon course was designed to showcase the city's landmarks, starting and ending at the Chandigarh Club. The route for the full marathon took runners past the High Court Chowk, Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, and the Rose Garden, offering a scenic tour of the "City Beautiful." The event was organized by the UT Sports Department and saw participation from 21 specially-abled athletes, including a newly-married couple from the Chandigarh Spinal Rehab Centre who competed in wheelchairs. The race was flagged off by notable figures including 2008 Beijing Olympics champion Abhinav Bindra and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Rupinder Pal Singh. Different race categories catered to various fitness levels, including a full marathon (42.195 km), a half-marathon (21 km), a 10km timed run, and a 5km fun run. There were 323 runners in the full marathon, 740 in the half-marathon, 1,270 in the 10km run, and 1,168 in the 5km fun run. In the half-marathon, India's Harmanjot Singh, a silver medallist at the Asian Cross Country Championship, won the men's category with a time of 1 hour, 2 minutes, and 4 seconds. The women's half-marathon was won by Tsehay Desalegn of Ethiopia. The 10km race also saw Indian athletes on the podium, with Sahil Kapoor winning the men's event and Soniya taking the top spot in the women's category.
