Over 6,500 Runners Take Part in Hyderabad 5K and Inclusive Run at HITEX

Over 6,500 runners, including 300 differently abled participants, took part in the 5K Run and Inclusive Run held at HITEX on Saturday as part of the 15th NMDC Hyderabad Marathon 2026.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner Dr M. Ramesh and Cyberabad Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr G. Srijana flagged off the runs. Wheelchair participants were flagged off first, followed by runners representing non-governmental organisations and charities, and general participants in the regular 5K Run. Both officials also joined the run alongside participants.

According to Rajesh Vetcha, founder of the Hyderabad Runners Society and race director, more than 6,800 runners registered for the 5K Run. On Saturday, approximately 6,200 regular 5K runners and 300 Inclusive Run participants completed the course.

The Inclusive Run was introduced for the first time at the marathon in association with the Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation. The 300 differently abled participants included 205 persons with disabilities, 37 wheelchair runners from the Telangana and Bengaluru wheelchair cricket teams, 14 dwarf participants from Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, and visually challenged runners.

Participants also included Divyanshu Ganatra from Pune, a visually challenged psychologist and the first blind Indian to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Shwetha of SheRACES took part as well, marking the marathon's official accreditation by SheRACES for supporting women runners.

The event was attended by Hyderabad Runners Society president Arun Kumar Kaliappan, IDFC FIRST Bank zonal head Prashant Shinde, and NMDC directors Shri Krishna Kumar Thakur, Vivek Nishant Nath, Anurag Kapil, and Chief Vigilance Officer Neelkanth Reddy.

As part of sustainability initiatives, the HMDA Urban Forestry Wing distributed saplings and plants to runners. Organisers noted that 35 per cent of registered runners opted out of receiving T-shirts, flex cut-outs were reduced, and breakfast was served using plastic-free alternatives, supporting an ongoing target to make the marathon carbon-neutral within three years.

The main marathon events will be held on Sunday, with the Full Marathon and Half Marathon starting from People's Plaza at Necklace Road and the 10K Run flagged off from HITEX in Madhapur.