pacertrip.

PACERTRIP CITY EDITIONIN / RACE GUIDE

JBG Kolkata Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

Kolkata
IN

NalGup20 · CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons · Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons · Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0Wikimedia Commons · Gopa.bkduttaroy, CC BY-SA 4.0Wikimedia Commons · DeepanjanGhosh, CC BY-SA 4.0

Race date in 54 days: Nov 29, 2026 Sun
City · Distance: Kolkata · 42.195km · 21.1km
Entry fee: ₹1,500Varies by event and entry period
Status: OpenSee how to enter ↗

Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 6, 2026

About the race Runner stories How to enter Course Race Prep Travel

Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

The race is held on Red Road in the Maidan area of central Kolkata.

In 2026 a full marathon is added for the first time, held alongside the half marathon, 10K, 5K and other races.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

Race reports: 3

Coolbiker32Ran in 2025

“It was organised well and there were no hiccups.”

The runner took part in the JBG Kolkata Marathon 10K and found that the event was well organised. The runner also viewed the half marathon's equal prize money for men and women and the atmosphere at the venue positively.

Read the original on Reddit r/kolkata

Sanjeev Kr JhaRan in 2025 · Finish time 1:43:14

“I have finished my 2nd Official Half Marathon with Personal Best (PB) in JBG Kolkata Marathon 2025 with a timing of 01:43:14.”

Sanjeev Kr Jha finished the JBG Kolkata Marathon 2025 half marathon in 1:43:14, setting a personal best. He improved by more than 15 minutes on his previous half marathon time and said his results had improved a great deal in the year he took up running.

Read the original on LinkedIn

Saibal DasguptaFinish time 2:18:53

“Ran the JBG Kolkata Marathon on Sunday managed a new PB of 2:18:53 — a whole 5 minutes faster than my previous best.”

Saibal Dasgupta cut five minutes off his personal best with a time of 2:18:53 at the JBG Kolkata Marathon 21K. He wrote that he was able to keep improving even after turning 50, through consistency and training discipline.

Read the original on LinkedIn

We translated a short line from each public race report and summarized the experience. Finish times are as stated by the author, and past editions may differ from this year's weather and operations.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

Half marathon running kolkata | JBG kolkata marathon 2025 | kolkata marathon run

Kolkata Spark

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

marathon

Entry cost ₹1,500

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

marathon

Entry cost ₹1,125

subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Official race website Entry options

From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

The 42.195km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

Runners start · local timeFrom 04:30

START

Indira Gandhi Sarani

Start · Google Maps

The JBG Kolkata Marathon holds its 11th edition on Sunday, November 29, 2026.

This year a full marathon is added for the first time,

and it has earned a World Athletics Bronze Label, making it the only Label marathon in eastern India.

Races are the marathon (elite and open), half marathon, 10K, 5K, the Special Heroes 3K for participants with disabilities, and a costume run.

Elite marathon applicants must submit a performance certificate and ID and pass a review, with applications closing on November 15.

The race is held on Red Road in the Maidan area of the city center.

It began as a small trail run, was held as a 10K around Salt Lake in 2023–2024, and for its 10th edition in 2025 moved to Red Road and added the half marathon.

The event gets going at 4:30 a.m.

Organizer Sportiz and title sponsor Jai Balaji Group measure the course and run the race to Athletics Federation of India, World Athletics and AIMS standards.

More than 15,000 participants are expected in 2026, and 50 female pacers run with the field.

Every race is timed, and every finisher gets a medal.

Typical race-season temperature: around 22°C (71°F): Short sleeves — hydrate for the warmth

Participant benefits

Timing chip

Finisher medal

Event T-shirt

Finisher certificate

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

Pick up your bib at the expo

The official website is currently inaccessible, so pickup information cannot be verified.

Stations & transport near the venue

Get the Kolkata Metro Smart Card at any station counter — tap in/out, get a 10% travel credit bonus, and skip the token queue.

Getting to the start

Red Road (Indira Gandhi Sarani), Maidan, Kolkata — nearest metro Maidan or Esplanade (Blue Line; Esplanade also Green Line interchange), ~5-10min walk

Start/finish on Red Road in the Maidan, an open unenclosed area, in front of Rangers Club.

IMPORTANT: Kolkata Metro Blue Line's first Sunday train runs from ~9:00am —

well after typical Indian marathon start times (5-6am) — so the metro will NOT be running early enough for race-start access.

Runners must use taxi, auto-rickshaw, or ride-hailing (Ola/Uber) pre-dawn.

Getting to the finish

Maidan/Esplanade metro stations

Usable for the return trip once Sunday metro service begins ~9:00am, alongside taxis/ride-hailing.

More details

Road closures around Red Road/Maidan are typical for this race but a detailed 2026 closure map was not found —

contact organizers at jbgkolkatamarathon@gmail.com or +91 74394 09608 for specifics.

IC card

Kolkata Metro Smart Card

Ticket counters/customer-care desks at any Kolkata Metro station (e.g. Esplanade, Howrah Station, Sealdah Station, Dum Dum, Airport station).

Some stations and the official app also issue instant digital cards.

Alternative: Kolkata Metro Tourist Smart Card ₹250 (3 days, unlimited rides) / ₹550 (5 days, unlimited rides) —

Only worth it if you're sightseeing intensively and riding the metro many times per day across 3-5 days —

otherwise the regular pay-per-ride Smart Card (with its 10% top-up bonus) is cheaper.

More details

The Smart Card costs ₹100-1000 to buy, of which ₹60 is a refundable deposit and the rest is usable travel credit;

minimum top-up is ₹50 and the card holds up to ₹1,000.

The card is valid for 1 year from purchase or last top-up.

No source explicitly confirms or denies that foreign contactless bank cards work directly at Kolkata Metro gates —

coverage only discusses cards being used to top up the Smart Card at counters/kiosks,

not tapping a bank card at the gate itself, so treat this as unconfirmed rather than assuming it works.

Source · checked Aug 22, 2026 Source · checked Aug 17, 2026

READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The nearest metro stations to Red Road are Maidan and Esplanade, both a 5–10-minute walk away.

However, the first Sunday service on Kolkata Metro’s Blue Line starts at around 9:00 AM, so it is not available for an early-morning start.

For the journey to the start, arrange a taxi or auto-rickshaw in advance, or use a ride-hailing app such as Ola or Uber.

The metro can be used for the return journey after 9:00 AM.

Road closures around Red Road and Maidan are customary for this race, but the 2026 traffic-control map has not been confirmed.

Contact jbgkolkatamarathon@gmail.com or +91 74394 09608 for details.

The official website is inaccessible, so bib-collection information has also not been confirmed.

Times are local to Kolkata. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Hotels that make race morning easy

7 places

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

The Elgin Fairlawn Kolkata

Hotel · 689m

8.2/10(468)

View on Booking.com

Peerless Hotel Kolkata

Hotel · 649m

7.7/10(742)

View on Booking.com

The Park Kolkata

Hotel · 819m

7.1/10(1023)

View on Booking.com

Super Townhouse Centre Point Inn Near Esplanade Metro Station

Hotel · 883m

6.7/10(288)

View on Booking.com

Lytton Hotel

Hotel · 658m

6.6/10(107)

View on Booking.com

The Lindsay

Hotel · 812m

6.5/10(194)

View on Booking.com

Astoria Hotel

Hotel · 684m

6.4/10(122)

View on Booking.com

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

View on map →

Time for you, before and after the finish

25 experiences

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

SIT-DOWN TOURS1CARB LOADING2LOCAL TRANSIT7FAMILY PASS3CITY TOURS7EASY WALKING5

Kolkata: Hooghly River Sunset Cruise with Snacks and Drinks

₹829

JBG Kolkata Marathon

About JBG Kolkata Marathon — what makes it special

A day you'll remember,long past the finish line.

The road to your own record

When the city cheers

The trip that follows the run