Hyderabad Marathon 2026 and 2027: Dates, Start Points and How to Train

Hyderabad marathon 2026: what happened and what comes next

Hyderabad’s running year is built around one big weekend at the end of August, in the middle of the monsoon. Wikipedia lists the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon’s usual date as the last Sunday of August, and the city’s other races fill the cooler months from November to March. As of 27 October 2026, the 2026 marathon is over and the 2027 date hasn’t been announced. Here is where Hyderabad’s races stand.

NMDC Hyderabad Marathon: a two-day race weekend

The NMDC Hyderabad Marathon is the city’s main race and, according to Wikipedia, the second-largest marathon in India after Mumbai’s. It was first held in 2011, with Airtel as title sponsor for more than a decade before NMDC took over in 2022, which is why older searches still say “Airtel Hyderabad Marathon”. It is organised by Hyderabad Runners Society with NMDC, IDFC FIRST Bank and the Telangana government, carries a World Athletics Label, and offered a ₹45 lakh prize purse in 2026, when more than 32,000 participants were expected.

The 2026 race was split across two days, and each distance had its own start. Telangana Today reported these flag-off times and places:

About 6,200 runners took part in Saturday’s regular 5K, alongside 300 participants with disabilities in the Inclusive Run. On Sunday, police reported that half the route fell under the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate, so the course links central Hyderabad with the Cyberabad side of the city, and deployed 700 personnel and 250 traffic marshals. If you searched for the Hyderabad marathon route, the official route map is the only reliable source for turns and climbs, so study it before you register.

Hyderabad marathon results 2026 and course records

Ethiopian runners won both elite races in 2026. Telangana Today reported that Seboka Negusse won the men’s race in 2:20:57, ahead of Kenya’s Felix Kimutai on the same time, and Emane Seifu won the women’s race in 2:46:29. Gopi Thonakal was the leading Indian man, fourth in 2:21:46, and Nirmaben Thakor the leading Indian woman in 2:50:20. Both winning times were well outside the course records set in 2025: 2:17:27 for men (Francis Cheruiyot) and 2:39:27 for women (Millicent Jemutai Kibet). For your own result, use the timing link on the official site.

Hyderabad marathon 2027 registration: plan for a spring deadline

The most common mistake with the Hyderabad Marathon is leaving registration until summer. For 2026, Telangana Today reported that the early bird phase ended on 15 March, entries for all categories closed on 30 April, and charity bibs opened in May. That is four months before race day. If the 2027 edition follows the same pattern, expect registration to open early in 2027 and close in spring, so decide by February.

We couldn’t confirm the 2026 cut-off times from the organiser, so check them on the official site, hyderabadmarathon.com, before choosing a distance. If you are a run-walk finisher, the cut-off matters more in Hyderabad than in most cities, because late-race heat slows everyone down once the sun is up.

Racing in August: Hyderabad’s wettest month, and its cleanest air

August is an unusual month for a marathon, and in Hyderabad it brings both problems and advantages. Normals for 1991–2020 make it the wettest month, with about 204 mm of rain over 11 rainy days, an average high of 29.6 °C and a low of 22.0 °C, and evening humidity around 70%. Expect a warm, sticky start, a decent chance of rain and wet roads.

The advantage is the air. On the AQI.in dashboard, which compiles monitoring-station data on the US AQI scale, every day from May to September 2025 was rated “moderate”, and August had the year’s lowest monthly reading. Hyderabad’s winter, by contrast, is its smoggiest season. So the marathon falls in the cleanest part of the year, but your training block runs from June, when highs still average 34.4 °C, through the wettest weeks of July and August.

• June: the heat is still on. Run before 6:30 AM, let your easy pace slow down on hot mornings, and carry water on anything over an hour.
• July and August: run in the rain when it is safe. Test your shoes, socks and anti-chafe balm on wet long runs, because race morning may be wet.
• Race week: watch the forecast, start slower than planned if it is humid, and drink at the early water stations rather than waiting until you are thirsty.

Times half marathon Hyderabad and other running events

Many people search for the Times or Times Internet half marathon in Hyderabad, and its route. We couldn’t find a confirmed 2026–27 date or route for it from the organiser or a race calendar in October 2026, so check the organiser’s own page before planning around it. The FatMarathoner Hyderabad and Telangana calendar (updated 24 October 2026) lists these other events, which are aggregator listings to confirm with each organiser:

• Starlight Strides Women’s Night Run: 12 December 2026, 10K and 5K.
• Hyderabad Night Run: 13 December 2026, 21K, 10K and 5K.
• Telangana Half Marathon 2027: 24 January 2027, 21.1K, 10K and 5K.
• Hare Krishna Run: 7 February 2027, 10K, 5K and 3K.
• Hyderabad City Slam Monsoon Run: held 15 August 2026, 16.1K, a useful tune-up two weeks before the marathon.
• Ananthagiri Hills Trail Run, Vikarabad: held 26 October 2025, from 5K up to 32K, for trail runners.

Hyderabad Runners Society also lists its own events: a Stadium Run on Saturday 14 November 2026 at 6 PM, and a Kids Run on 22 November 2026 at ICRISAT.

Where to do long runs in Hyderabad

Long runs are hard to place in Hyderabad, because few routes stay green for 15 km or more and the heat gives you a short window. The best options, with distances from our guide to running tracks in Hyderabad: Necklace Road along Hussain Sagar, about 5.5 km and part of the race’s half marathon start area; the 9.4 km Osmania University loop, which has shade; the 11 km Financial District route in Nanakramguda, quiet on weekend mornings; and laps of KBR Park’s 5 km track if you hold a pass.

A Hyderabad marathon training week with two strength sessions

This sample week is for someone eight to ten weeks out from a half marathon who already runs about 20 km a week. For the August race, that puts it in late June and July. Our half marathon training plan for beginners gives the full 12-week build, and strength training for runners explains the lifting days.

On a monsoon morning with heavy rain or lightning, move the long run to the next day rather than running beside a flooded road. On very humid days, judge effort by breathing, not pace.

Taper and race-week food, Hyderabad style

Cut your running by about a third in the second-last week and by half in race week, keep a few short, quick efforts, and make the last strength session light. For carbohydrate loading, Hyderabad’s breakfasts are ideal: idli, upma, plain dosa, curd rice and bananas. Save biryani, haleem and mirchi ka salan for the celebration after the race, since rich, spicy food the night before is a common cause of race-morning stomach trouble. For a 4:30 or 5:30 AM start, eat two or three idlis or a banana with peanut butter about two hours earlier, and test it on a long run first. Our guide to healthy food in Hyderabad and the TDEE calculator help you set your food for the training block.

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