The Bodh Gaya Marathon 2026

Running a marathon in Bihar has been a long-held dream. I had initially planned to run back in 2022 or 2023 in Patna when an event was organized by a Bangalore-based group, but administrative issues led to a last-minute postponement. I’ve learned the hard way with Patna—dates are often a surprise and changes happen at the 11th hour. Flying out from Bangalore, hotel costs, and logistics make this a significant investment for a hobby, so I decided not to take a chance on Patna and looked for an alternative.

I eventually found the Bodh Gaya Marathon Despite being a smaller setup, they had successfully organized it twice on the same date. With Korean sponsors and support from local Buddhist monasteries, it felt like an honest effort. Plus, the timing was perfect—just before Aarush starts his Class 12th board exams. It allowed me to get my run in and return home to provide whatever moral support I could as a parent.

Preparation and Training

My training leading up to this was “OK”—not great, but decent. December and January saw a few 70km weeks, with the rest hovering around 40-50km. I’ve also joined Cult for strengthening and yoga. While I’m not as regular as I’d like to be, it’s definitely helping the core. This gave me a two-month gap from my last run in Raipur, which felt about right.

The Army Hospitality

I was very fortunate that a close running friend, Colonel Sreekrishna, had been posted in Bodh Gaya with the NCC a few years back. He was gracious enough to organize my stay at the NCC Officers’ Mess in Gaya.

Since there are no direct flights from Bangalore to Gaya, I flew out on Friday via Delhi to ensure I had a full day of rest on Saturday. The Mess was a blessing—quiet, comfortable, and served simple veg meals (lots of rice and chapati) that kept my stomach in good shape. I spent Saturday doing absolutely nothing—no OTT, no phone scrolling—just sleeping and resting.

Race Day: Fog, Sand, and Chaos

The first surprise came at the start line. I expected a 5:15 AM start, but it was pushed to 5:45 AM. Many of us were standing around in the 8-9°C cold, but I had the right layers on so it wasn’t too bad.

The race flagged off around 6:00 AM under a thick blanket of fog. The course was… interesting. After the first 1.5km, we left the town and entered narrow village lanes with sharp twists and turns. Soon, we were running along the riverbank. Being the Gangetic plains, the floodwaters leave behind heavy deposits of sand and silt on the roads. Running on sand is never ideal, but I wasn’t chasing a PB, so I just focused on my gels and hydration.

The organizers did a good job with water stations every 2km, which was great, though it did result in a couple of necessary bio-breaks!

Mentoring on the Move

I hit the Half Marathon mark at 2:02. Around the 20km and 30km marks, I picked up two companions—youngsters running their first full marathon. One was a 22-year-old kid and the other was from the Bihar Police Special Armed Forces. They stuck with me for moral support, and we spent the miles talking. It was rewarding to keep them motivated and share what I’ve learned about the 42.2km journey.

The final stretch back into Bodh Gaya town around 10:00 AM was pure chaos. There was zero traffic management. We were navigating through a maze of motorcycles, tempos, and rickshaws just to reach the finish line.

The Result

I let the two youngsters cross the line 50 meters ahead of me—it was their first, after all! Aside from them, nobody else passed me during the race, and I managed to overtake quite a few.

• Overall Rank: 17th (out of ~70 participants)
• Age Category: 2nd Place

The winner finished around 2:33, so I’m quite happy with my performance.

Post-Race and The Journey Home

The post-race refreshment was Puri-Sabji, which my stomach definitely wasn’t ready for. I slipped away to a local cafe for a hot chocolate, took some medal photos, and headed back to the Mess. One perk of staying with the Army: no noon checkout pressure! I rested until 2:30 PM before heading to the airport.

The return journey was long due to a delay in my connecting flight from Kolkata. I was so hungry by the time I hit Kolkata airport that I ended up eating two dinners. I finally reached home at 1:00 AM on Monday, tired but satisfied.

With Bihar checked off, that’s another state done. With Aarush’s exams ongoing, I’ll have to see where the next one takes me before the Indian summer sets in.