Overview
- The Indian elite entry list features 36 runners — 23 men and 13 women — for the 21st edition in Mumbai on January 18.
- Anish Thapa heads the men’s field after winning Hyderabad in 2025 and holds a 2:16:41 personal best set in Delhi in 2022.
- Major challengers include Man Singh, runner-up in 2025 with a 2:13:25 PB from Valencia and the 2024 Asian marathon champion, along with two-time Mumbai winner Srinu Bugatha and Pradeep Singh Chaudhary.
- Nirmaben Thakor leads the women’s field seeking a third straight title, a feat last achieved by Lalita Babbar from 2012 to 2014.
- Top Indian finishers will earn Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh, and Rs 3 lakh, with Rs 2 lakh for an event record and Rs 1 lakh for an Indian event record; the benchmarks stand at 2:15:48 for men (Nitendra Singh Rawat) and 2:34:56 for women (Sudha Singh).