Taj Mahal Marathon
The eastern gate of Taj Mahal, Agra, is the start line of the Taj Mahal Marathon, spread across 222 km.
Date14–16 June 2013
LocationAgra, India
Event typeRoad
DistanceUltramarathon
Established2013
Official siteEndurance India

The Taj Mahal Marathon is a long-distance running event held in Agra, India, every year. It has been held since 14 June 2013 and it takes place every year.[1]

Overview

The race was founded by India's youngest ultramarathon runner[2] and an engineer, Gaurav Madan. Set over a largely flat course around the Chambal River and River Yamuna, the race begins at three separate points around Taj Mahal, Agra and finishes in Bhangarh, Rajasthan. In addition to being one of the top ten international marathons to run as per Lonely Planet across the globe,[3] this crew-supported marathon is also India's longest in terms of the distance.

History

The Taj Mahal Marathon is not the city's first long-distance running event which begins around the Taj Mahal. Adventure Marathon organized the Taj Mahal Marathon in 2008 and then discontinued it. It was a 42.195-kilometer marathon. The route began in the small village of Niyamatpur and wound through the countryside before joining the main highway to Agra.

The course

Set over a largely flat course along the Chambal River from River Yamuna and spanning 222 kilometres (138 miles), the Taj Mahal Marathon is regarded as a tough and unpredictable event, and only for elders.

The course begins at three points: the Eastern Gate, Southern Gate and Western Gate of Taj Mahal, and leads the runners to NH 11 towards Jaipur, which takes them to Bharatpur, Rajasthan via Fatehpur Sikri. The course provides runners with the opportunity to run along Keoladeo National Park.

After crossing Bharatpur, the course leads the runners to the city of Dausa, Rajasthan, far from the Chambal River. The weather on a partially deserted landscape is considerably hot in the month of June, with daytime temperatures rising above 116 °F (47 °C). In Dausa, runners join National Highway 11A Dausa Highway, which leads them to the finish at Bhangarh, Alwar, Rajasthan.

The runners scale a distance of 222 km (138 mi) during the marathon, passing the three mandatory checkpoints: Bharatpur, Mehandipur Balaji Temple and Dausa, with a gross elevation gain of 2,000 ft. During the entire duration of the marathon, runners will be accompanied by their mandatory support crew, along with the support vehicle and medical support team.

The marathon has a cut-off time of 48 hours from the start, with no individual time station cut-offs.

Eligibility and participation

The runner must be over 21 years of age and have finished a minimum of two ultramarathons: at least one of which must be over 100 km long, to participate in the marathon. The participation is based on the official invitations released by the organizers. In order to receive the invitation, a person can register on the official website.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Taj Mahal Marathon". www.ultramarathonrunning.com. 2018–19. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  2. ↑ Guides, Bluworlds. Taj Mahal Pocket Travel Guide. Bluworlds Guides.
  3. ↑ "Travel Stories". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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