Running Tracks in Nagpur: Lakes, Seminary Hills, Synthetic Tracks and Beating the Heat

Running in Nagpur starts with the thermometer

Before you pick a running track in Nagpur, pick an hour. Nagpur sits on the Deccan Plateau at about 310 m, far from the sea, and its summers are fierce. Long-term averages for 1991–2020 put the mean daily high at 43.1°C in May and 40.6°C in April, with nights in May that only fall to about 28°C. The coolest month, December, still averages 29.3°C in the afternoon. That's why the city's runners are out at 5:30 AM, and why the routes below are judged as much by shade as by distance.

Lakeside running in Nagpur: Futala and Ambazari

India's official tourism site counts eleven lakes in Nagpur, and the two that runners use most sit on its western side. Both are flat, both are busy in the evening, and both are better in the first hour of daylight, before traffic and crowds build.

Futala (Telankhedi) Lake

Futala Lake, also listed as Telankhedi Lake, is one of Nagpur's natural lakes and, according to India's official tourism site, has a history of about 200 years. Its lakefront is one of the city's favourite evening outings, with what the tourism site calls lively waterfront activities, which is exactly why runners use it at dawn instead. There is no official measured loop, so use a watch or phone to mark out your own out-and-back, and expect walkers and vendors to fill the paths as the morning goes on.

Ambazari Lake, the garden and the Biodiversity Park

Ambazari is the largest lake within Nagpur, on the city's western edge, with a public garden beside it. The real find for runners, though, is the Ambazari Biodiversity Park next door, a grassland and wetland of 758 hectares opened to the public by the Forest Department in 2019. It has a 4 km nature trail and a 15 km cycle track, and the department reported 161 species of resident and migratory birds there (The Hitavada, 2020 and 2021). In 2020 it opened 6 AM to 6 PM, Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays. Gravel and dirt underfoot make it kinder to the knees than tarmac, and the open grassland gives little shade, so it's a winter and early-morning place.

Seminary Hills: Nagpur's trail running and hill repeats

Nagpur is mostly flat, and Seminary Hills is the exception that runners come back to. The hill on the city's north-western side holds the Japanese Garden, set in a reserve forest of about 65 hectares that the Forest Department maintains (The Hitavada, November 2024), and India's official tourism site describes the walking paths across the hill and the views over the city from the top. For runners, that means two things the lakes can't offer: shade from the trees and climbs for hill repeats.

• Hill repeats: pick a climb of 200–400 m on the hill's roads or paths, run up hard for 60–90 seconds, walk or jog down, and repeat 6–10 times. It's the best preparation in the city for a hilly race or a trek.
• Easy trail runs: the forest paths give a softer surface and more shade than any lakefront, which helps from March onward.
• Mind the morning walkers: the paths are shared, and the Japanese Garden draws families. Run single-file on narrow sections and save the hard efforts for the roads.

Synthetic running tracks in Nagpur: Mankapur and RTMNU

If you searched for a synthetic running track in Nagpur, there are two. The first was laid at the Divisional Sports Complex in Mankapur, described as an international-standard track, and hosted its first meet, the 29th West Zone Athletics Championship, from 16 September 2017 (Athletics Federation of India). The second is the eight-lane synthetic track at Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University (RTMNU) in Ravi Nagar, built by the Public Works Department on a budget of around ₹10 crore, with lane marking under way in May 2023 (The Hitavada).

Neither track publishes public opening hours or fees online, and both exist first for athletes and students. Visit the office at Mankapur or the university's sports department in person to ask whether recreational runners can buy a pass. If you can't get on a track, a flat stretch of lakefront and a watch do almost as well for interval sessions.

The Nagpur Marathon and the city's race calendar

Nagpur's long-running road race is the Nagpur Marathon. Its 10th edition was run on 15 March 2026 from the St Ursula Girls' High School ground in Civil Lines, with a 21 km half marathon, 10 km, 5 km and a 3 km fun run, and more than 2,500 participants (The Hitavada, March 2026). The organisers set the half marathon start at 5 AM, the 10 km at 5:30 AM and the 5 km at 5:45 AM, and those early starts are no accident: Nagpur's average March high is 36.4°C. We couldn't find an official race website, so watch The Hitavada and the organisers' social channels for the next edition's dates.

A March race means your training block runs from December to February, the coolest and driest weeks of Nagpur's year. That's a good fit. Build to your longest run by mid-February, and do your last two long runs at the race's start time, so the 5 AM wake-up and the warming final kilometres feel familiar on race day.

A Nagpur running week that works in every season

Here is a week for someone running 20–30 km over four days, adjusted for Nagpur's three seasons. The idea is to keep running all year, with the hot months used for strength and short runs rather than mileage.

Two strength sessions a week are what keep runners injury-free when Nagpur's heat makes you drop mileage. Squats, step-ups, single-leg deadlifts, calf raises and planks cover most of it; our guide to strength training for runners explains the sets, the order and how to fit them around running. To see how many calories a week of running and strength work burns, try our TDEE calculator.

Hydration and kit for running in Nagpur's heat

1. 1

   Drink before you go

   A glass or two of water in the 30–60 minutes before a run matters more in Nagpur than in milder cities, because you start the run already warm. The NMC's own heat advice recommends lemon water and buttermilk.

2. 2

   Carry water on anything over 45 minutes

   From March to June, even early runs warm up fast. Plan routes past places where you can refill, and carry a bottle on long runs.

3. 3

   Light, loose and pale

   Light-coloured, loose clothing, a cap and sunscreen for runs that end after sunrise. Dark clothing on a May morning soaks up heat.

4. 4

   Slow down by feel

   In heat, the same pace costs more effort. Run by breathing and effort, not by your winter pace, and accept that summer runs will be slower.

5. 5

   Watch the monsoon roads

   From June to September, waterlogged roads and potholes are the bigger risk. Stick to paths you know and wear shoes with some grip.

Running in Nagpur with a coach on video

MakeMyFitness doesn't run a track or a club in Nagpur, and there's no studio to visit. What we offer is a certified coach on a live video call who builds your running strength, plans your weeks around the heat and the Nagpur Marathon calendar, and checks your form in real time. If you train in a gym in Dharampeth or a society gym on Wardha Road, Personal Gym Training in Nagpur puts the coach beside you there. If you'd rather train with friends from your running group, Group Classes in Nagpur cost ₹499 a session per person. Everything else, from prices to session times, is on our online personal training in Nagpur page.

When winter ends and the long runs stop, many Nagpur runners switch to the bike or the hills. See our guides to cycling in Nagpur and treks near Nagpur, and for fuelling the training around Saoji dinners and tarri poha breakfasts, healthy food in Nagpur.