New Delhi Marathon: Dates, Tickets & Venue (New Delhi)

A national championship inside a stadium bowl

The race begins and ends on a stadium track. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is the big concrete bowl south of Lodhi Road. It was built for the 1982 Asian Games and rebuilt for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The 2026 edition is scheduled for November 2026.

This is more than a city fun run. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) recognises it as India’s national marathon, and World Athletics certifies the course. It is also an Asian Games qualifying event, so elite runners chasing qualifying times share the start with amateur fields.

Reaching Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

The Metro stops right at the stadium. JLN Stadium station is on the Violet Line. It links to the Yellow Line at Central Secretariat and runs north to Kashmere Gate.

• From Connaught Place or the airport side: take the Yellow Line to Central Secretariat, then change to the Violet Line heading south.
• From South Delhi: the Violet Line runs straight through Jangpura and Lajpat Nagar to the stadium.
• By car: Uber and Ola both cover the area. Big Delhi road races usually close the roads around the venue, so drop-offs tend to happen a few blocks out.

What a Delhi November morning brings

November in Delhi is cool, dry and hazy. Dawn temperatures usually sit in the low-to-mid teens Celsius and climb fast once the sun is up. That makes the early miles comfortable and the last ones warmer.

Air quality is the bigger issue. November is the worst month for smog in North India, and AQI readings often hit unhealthy levels. Runners from outside the city usually follow AQI apps through race week. Many wear a mask while warming up and after the finish.

How runners usually handle race weekend

Most runners treat the stadium like a base camp. Here is what they typically do:

• Stay close: Lodhi Colony, Jangpura, Nizamuddin and the hotels around Khan Market are all one or two Violet Line stops away, or a short auto-rickshaw ride.
• Pay by phone: UPI dominates Delhi payments, from Metro top-ups to chai stalls. Visitors without an Indian bank account usually carry a Delhi Metro smart card and some small notes for autos.
• Name the stadium in full: auto drivers know it as “JLN Stadium” or “Nehru Stadium”. Pragati Vihar, the neighbouring residential area, is a handy landmark.
• Recover nearby: Lodhi Garden is just north across Lodhi Road, with flat paths between Mughal-era tombs that suit a cool-down walk. Humayun’s Tomb is a short ride east, and Khan Market has sit-down breakfast cafés.

Registration categories, start times and course maps are all on the organiser’s official site. Elite entrants targeting Asian Games qualification work through AFI channels, while amateurs enter through the public registration.