Delhi Half Marathon and Other Delhi Races: 2026–27 Dates, Entry Rules and Training

Delhi race calendar: what has happened in 2026 and what’s next

Delhi has two anchor races and a long tail of smaller ones. The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is the big autumn race, held in October just before the smog season. The New Delhi Marathon is the city’s full 42.2 km, held in late February as the air clears. Around them, private organisers run half marathons and 10Ks on most winter and spring weekends. As of 27 October 2026, this year’s Delhi Half has already been run. Here is where each race stands.

Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon: how entry actually works

The Delhi Half Marathon has run since 2005, is promoted by Procam International and is a World Athletics Gold Label road race. It starts and finishes at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on a largely flat, AIMS-certified course, and both course records were set in 2020: 58:53 for men by Amedework Walelegn and 1:04:46 for women by Yalemzerf Yehualaw. The 2026 race on Sunday 18 October drew more than 41,000 participants across on-ground and virtual categories, according to the organisers, and the Open 10K started from the stadium at 7:35 AM on a revised route, instead of from Sansad Marg.

The thing that surprises first-timers is that you can’t simply sign up for the half. Entry to the 21.1 km is only against a timing certificate, apart from limited charity places, and the race you submit must be on a course measured by an AIMS or World Athletics accredited measurer, with RFID timing and split mats. For 2026, certificates from races held on or after 1 October 2024 were accepted.

The cut-off. Timing results and certificates are generated only for runners who complete the half marathon within 3 hours 30 minutes of the start, which works out to about 10 minutes per kilometre. Start waves are set from your certificate: wave A for a previous half of up to 1:50:00, wave F for 3:00:01 and slower or for entries without a certificate.

Registration timing. For 2026, registration opened on 23 July at 7 AM and the half closed on 8 September (the Open 10K on 31 August) or earlier if places filled. Bibs had to be collected in person at the expo from 15 to 17 October, with Delhi-NCR runners asked to use the first two days. Registration happens only on the official site, vedantadelhihalfmarathon.procam.in. The 2027 date had not been announced on 27 October 2026; expect registration to open in July if the pattern holds, and watch the official site.

The New Delhi Marathon: Delhi’s full 42.2 km in February

If you searched for a full marathon in Delhi, this is it. The race calendar on FatMarathoner (updated 24 October 2026) lists the Apollo Tyres New Delhi Marathon on 22 February 2026, with 42K, 21K, 10K and 5K categories, and the next edition as the Cognizant New Delhi Marathon on 28 February 2027, starting and finishing at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. These are aggregator listings: confirm the date, categories, cut-offs and fees on the official site, newdelhimarathon.com, before you plan a training block around them.

A late-February marathon has one big advantage and one big problem. Race morning is usually cool: IMD normals give February an average low of 10.6 °C and a high of 24.2 °C at Safdarjung. But the peak training weeks fall in December and January, Delhi’s foggiest, smoggiest months. The training section below deals with that.

Half marathon Delhi in November and through the winter

For anyone searching for a half marathon in Delhi in November, or for upcoming Delhi NCR races, smaller organisers fill the gap between the two big events. The FatMarathoner Delhi NCR calendar (updated 24 October 2026) lists, among others:

• Delhi Half Marathon (3rd edition, a separate event from the Vedanta race): 31 October 2026; 21.1 km, 10.55 km, 5.25 km and 3 km.
• Winter Delhi Half Marathon: 1 November 2026; 21K, 10K, 5K and 3K.
• Hindustan Marathon (12th edition): 30 January 2027; 21.1 km, 10K and 5K.
• Indian Navy Half Marathon: 6 February 2027; 21.1 km, 10K and 5K.
• Times Internet Delhi Half Marathon: 28 March 2027; 21.1 km, 10K, 5K and 3K.
• Forest Run, Sanjay Van: a trail race held on 4 March 2026 with 21.1 km, 12 km, 6 km and 3 km options, for anyone who prefers dirt to tarmac.

Race-day weather and air in Delhi: October against February

Delhi’s two big races sit at different points in the year, and each has its own risk. India Meteorological Department normals for Safdarjung (1991–2020) give October an average high of 33.0 °C and a low of 19.5 °C, so an October half starts cool and warms quickly once the sun is up. Run the first 10 km at a pace you could hold for the whole race, and drink at the early water stations.

The bigger October risk is the air, which usually turns in the second half of the month. In 2026, the race went ahead on 18 October; three days later, on 21 October, Delhi’s AQI reached 244 (‘poor’) at 2 PM and the Commission for Air Quality Management invoked Stage I of the Graded Response Action Plan across the NCR. Check CPCB’s AQI the evening before and the morning of the race. If you have asthma or a heart condition, agree a plan with your doctor in advance, including at what reading you won’t start.

Training for a Delhi race through the monsoon and the smog

Each Delhi race has a hard training season. For the October half, the build-up runs through August and September, when Safdarjung averages 233 mm and 124 mm of rain and highs of about 34 °C, so long runs are hot and humid. For the February marathon, the build-up runs through December and January, when the air is at its worst. Keep the plan, and swap sessions indoors when you need to:

Missing a few outdoor long runs won’t ruin a race, but stacking hard sessions into the occasional clear day will. If a week has only one clean morning, use it for the long run and keep everything else easy.

Where to do long runs in Delhi

Long runs are easiest in central Delhi, where you can link green spaces without many road crossings. Kartavya Path gives up to 6.4 km out and back from the National Stadium past India Gate, and two or three of those cover a 14–18 km session before traffic builds. Lodhi Garden (about a 2.5 km circuit) and Nehru Park (a 2.4 km dirt loop) work for laps on easy days. Sanjay Van’s 4 km figure-eight adds gentle climbs. Our guide to running tracks in Delhi has the full list, surfaces and the CPCB station to check for each.

A Delhi half marathon training week with two strength sessions

This is a sample week for someone about eight to ten weeks from the Delhi Half (or a winter half) who already runs about 20 km a week. Our half marathon training plan for beginners gives the full 12-week build, and strength training for runners explains the lifting days.

Taper and race week for a Delhi race

Cut your running by about a third in the last week before a half (and over the last two weeks before a full marathon), keep a few short, quick efforts, and keep strength work light and familiar. For the Delhi Half, build the expo into your plan: bibs must be collected in person, at a time slot you book in advance, so don’t leave it to the last evening.

In the last two days, eat familiar, easily digested carbohydrates: rice, roti, poha, idli, bananas and toast. Save stuffed parathas, chole bhature and heavy, oily dinners for after the race. On race morning, eat something small about two hours before the start, such as a banana and toast with a little peanut butter, and test that breakfast before a long run first. Our Punjabi diet plan for weight loss and guide to healthy food in Delhi cover everyday eating during the training block, and the protein intake calculator sets a sensible daily target.

Coming back from a running injury? Once your physio has cleared you, Rehab & Recovery in Delhi rebuilds strength carefully. Prefer to train with friends from across the city? Group classes in Delhi put everyone on one live call. For everything else, see online personal training in Delhi.