WNC Navy Half Marathon: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Mumbai)

A Navy race through south Mumbai

The 2026 edition runs on Sunday, November 22. WNC stands for Western Naval Command, the Indian Navy’s Mumbai-headquartered command, and the race carries its name. That puts the event squarely in the Navy’s home territory: the old colonial core of the city, the harbour front and the sea roads around it.

Earlier editions have used the Gateway of India in Colaba as the hub, with the course heading out along the seafront roads of south Mumbai. The headline distance is the half marathon, 21.1 km. Previous years have also included shorter categories, usually a 10K and a 5K, so mixed-ability groups tend to enter together.

Distances, registration and the date

The organiser publishes categories, eligibility rules, bib collection and the course map on its official event site. Registration also runs through there. The race is part of Mumbai’s busy winter road-running season, which builds up to the city’s big January marathon. Plenty of runners use November as a tune-up for it.

What attendees usually sort out in advance:

• Their category (21.1 km or a shorter distance)
• Bib and timing-chip collection at the expo or pick-up venue
• How they get to the start before the city is awake
• Somewhere to stay within walking distance of Colaba or Fort

Race morning at the Gateway

Distance runs in Mumbai start before dawn. The usual reason is the humidity: November falls after the monsoon, but the air is still warm and heavy by mid-morning. Start corrals at past editions have formed in the dark, while the basalt arch of the Gateway was still floodlit and the harbour behind it lay black.

Because November 22 is a Sunday, the roads around Apollo Bunder and Colaba Causeway are quieter than on weekdays. Spectators typically gather at the Gateway forecourt and along the seafront roads. The Taj Mahal Palace hotel faces the start area, which makes it the easiest landmark for meeting up afterwards.

Getting to the start line, Mumbai style

Most runners travel the day before or stay nearby. Hotels in Colaba, Fort and Churchgate put you within a short walk or a cheap taxi ride of the Gateway. Suburban runners rely on the local train network. The nearest termini are Churchgate on the Western Line and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on the Central and Harbour lines.

Local habits on race morning:

• Taxis: the black-and-yellow kaali-peeli cabs and app cabs like Uber and Ola run through the night. Auto-rickshaws are not allowed in south Mumbai, so autos are no help near the start.
• Payment: UPI (scanning a QR code with your phone) is how most people pay for chai and snacks after the race. Small cash notes cover the rest.
• Breakfast: once the race is over, runners usually head to the Irani cafés and udupi restaurants of Colaba and Fort for bun maska, chai or idli.
• Etiquette: Navy personnel often marshal the course. Their instructions at barriers and crossings are followed without argument.

Kala Ghoda, the Prince of Wales Museum (CSMVS) and Marine Drive are all close by if you want to stay on in south Mumbai after you finish.