Hyderabad Marathon

September 01, 2026

Hyderabad Marathon Buildup

Ten weeks out from the Hyderabad Marathon, I began a fresh training block. I was coming off a 12-week, roughly 450-mile Cape Town marathon build, and I added a new Wahoo KICKR to the mix for cross-training. The objective was simple: put in consistent work toward a Comrades Ultra Marathon qualifier, with no heroics. The weeks settled into a dependable rhythm: easy weekday runs, one tempo session, one track-style workout, two strength sessions, and recovery spins on the KICKR. The intervals progressed from 400m to 800, 1,000, and 1,200m repeats. Saturdays at GKVK were reserved for the long run, the backbone of the block. Progress, of course, was not linear. The first four weeks built steadily to a 20-mile long run. Then poor sleep and fatigue disrupted Weeks 5 and 6. I skipped the long run in Week 5 and swapped out an easy run in Week 6, leaving two weekends without proper long run mileage right at the midpoint of the block. Week 7 shifted the momentum. I completed a solid 20-miler. It was short of the planned 23 miles long run, but it restored some confidence. Week 8 produced the standout session: 20 miles at 9:19 per mile, comfortably inside the 9:30 target, ran solo after a hectic week at work. The long-run progression finished strongly in Week 9 with 13 miles, including the middle nine at 9:30 per mile. My track times continued to improve as well. The 1000m repeats in Week 7 were noticeably quicker than those in Week 3. Week 10 was a deliberate taper. I reduced the mileage, dropped strength work, and closed with an easy eight miles at GKVK. I ran a little ahead of target pace and, more importantly, felt fresh. Over the ten weeks, I logged 359.5 running miles and another roughly 181 miles of cycling on the KICKR. My weight stayed around 70 to 72 kilograms. Despite two difficult weekends in the middle of the block, my legs arrived at race week as ready. My detailed buildup is here.

Race Weekend

I kept postponing my flight booking until the last minute, which is very unlike me. About two weeks before the race, I finally booked, and the fare reflected the delay. My cousin Karthik offered to host me because the finish was close to his home. In hindsight, it was an excellent decision. Family warmth and home-cooked food are difficult to beat before a marathon. I flew from Bangalore on Saturday morning and took an Uber straight to the Expo to collect my running number. My previous Hyderabad race/visit had been the half marathon in 2019. The city felt transformed, with skyscrapers, broad roads, and clean stretches throughout the drive. I was impressed. The Expo itself felt world-class. I walked through a few stalls, collected my running number, and picked up Pooja’s as well. Pooja, Karthik’s wife, was running the 10 km. Afterward, I met Vinay, my partner in crime for Sunday’s run. We have raced together since 2019, most recently in Sydney and at the Malnad Ultra. Over lunch, we set a simple plan: start together, then at around six miles I would move ahead because Vinay was treating the marathon as a training run. I spent the evening at Karthik’s home with my aunt and uncle. His family arrived later from Pondicherry, and we all had dinner together. I was in bed by about 2145 to 2200, with an alarm set for 0200. The start was a 30-minute drive away, and the gun would go at the wonderfully unreasonable hour of 0430.

Expo - Organized lines

Disciplined crowd

Marathon runners

Col Barthwal (Mountaineer) from Atliedge

Race Morning

Vinay and I reached the holding area at around 0400 to 0410. We did a few unhurried stretches, joined the flag-off, and crossed the timing mat a few minutes later at 0437. The start logistics were smooth and well organised. We settled into a pace under 10:00/mile on the only flat portion of the course, roughly the first six miles. The half marathoners, who had started at 0530, then merged onto the route. From there to the half-marathon split, the course became a sequence of rolling hills and flyovers. We stayed under 10:00/mile, backing off slightly on the climbs to preserve energy for later plus I chose to treat the race as a training run as well. Because the marathon shares miles 6 through 17 or 18 with the half marathon, I kept meeting friends along the way. A quick photo, a short chat, and then back to work. After mile 18, my legs began to fade. The sun was not the problem, but humidity of around 85 percent was doing its own quiet damage. By the time we entered the university stretch for the final six or seven miles, the road seemed endless. Near mile 20, Vinay stopped for a stretch. I slowed, expecting him to close the gap, but the distance between us kept growing. I eventually had to grind through the final six odd miles alone. Around mile 23, the internal conversation became very simple: just get this done. I relied on water and electrolytes from the aid stations. My original plan was a gel every 4.5 miles, five in total. Once I reduced the pace for the conditions and treated the race as a training run, four gels felt enough. I also took three salt tablets to help keep cramps at bay amid the fluid loss. Detailed race splits are here. After the finish, Vinay and I grabbed a quick breakfast. It was nothing elaborate, but almost anything tastes extraordinary when you are that hungry. Pooja had completed her 10K by then, and the two of us headed home. Waiting for us was a generous spread of home-cooked food and biryani from Paradise. I ate my fill, then went straight into an Uber for the airport and the flight back to Bangalore. The trip was short and hectic, but the hospitality of my uncle, aunt, cousin, and his family made it memorable. I hope to be back in 2027.