A scenic challenge: Jammu Marathon 2026

My name is Sahil Patil and I have been running since I was 10. I started off as a sprinter but found comfort in longer distances. I have been a sub 2:45 marathoner and am looking to add the Ironman 70.3 medal to my trophy cabinet this year. But before I add that coveted medal, I had the chance to add the Jammu Marathon medal to my roster and I took it.

I travelled to Jammu to introduce Ascend Energy Gels and Electrolytes to the runners at the Jammu Marathon 2026. Ascend Performance Nutrition was the Energy partner for the race and I had to be there. I flew out to Delhi and then hopped onto a 14 hour bus journey that got me to my destination.

The expo experience:

The expo was held at Dussehra Ground, Gandhi Nagar for 3 days and the arrangement was nothing short of a big fat Indian wedding. The red coloured shamiana along with music playing from 9 am to 8 pm on all three days was something quite different for me and thoroughly enjoyable. In fact, the Chief Minister for Jammu is a runner himself and graced the expo on the first day, drawing quite a bit of crowd.

A few things that could have been better at the expo were: 

• Having fans or coolers at the expo: The morning began cold at nearly 18 degrees celsius but as the day progressed, the temperature rose to 31 in the afternoon. Fans could have made it bearable. 
• Washroom facilities at the expo were missing. I don’t need to mention how crucial this is.
• While the expo was grand, the BIB collection experience could have been better. When I went to pick up my BIB, there was just one kiosk for each category.

Other than these three pointers, the expo was a memorable experience.

Shakeout Run | Ascend x Jammu runners

In fact, I did get to meet a lot of people at the expo and got acquainted with the Jammu Runners group. They were an enthusiastic bunch and we decided to do a 5km shakeout run a day before the race. 25 runners showed up at Jammu University for the run and we ended with a cup of Kahwah from Kishore Chaiwala. I would definitely recommend it to you guys.

Race Day

I had signed up for the half marathon and knowing the possible travel constraints early in the morning, I decided to reside about 1.5 kilometers away from Maulana Azad stadium which was the start venue for the race.

Flag off for the half was at 6am, so I set off on a Rapido at 5.30am. It is difficult to get one, so plan in advance.

To add to this, it was raining cats and dogs on race morning. Add this to the low temperature and you’ve got a freezing Mumbaikar in Jammu. I somehow made it to the start venue and was impressed with the setup of the holding area. The energy was crazy and the warm up dances just added to it. There were no baggage counters at the race venue which made it an issue for runners and this could be improved.

The race was flagged off right on time by the CM of Jammu. There was a minor incident where the start gate collapsed due to the rain but that was about it.

Since I was returning from a very recent injury (a fall from the bike ☹️), I decided to take it easy and targeted a sub 1:30 HM. I clocked my first kilometre right on pace with 4:15 but the elevation proved to be much more challenging than I thought.

The elevation hit right from the beginning. My Pace 3 recorded 242m gain and 254 loss across 21k of the race. In fact, between the 5th and 6th kilometre, right before Amar Mahal Museum and Library, there was a significant elevation gain, much more than what I had experienced at Pedder road. Quite a treat to the eyes but not so much for the legs.

I continued through the race and realised that holding a 4:15 pace throughout wouldn’t be possible given the elevation profile as well as the recent injury. So instead of chasing time, I decided to soak in the views.

• Amar Mahal Museum and Library is scenic. It is quite a climb to get there but all worth it.
• The Mubarak Mandi Palace is another location just ahead. You will get the downhills here and also a view of rustic grandeur.
• There are two bridges that pass over the Tawi river and both are on course. They give you a peaceful view of the river that flows below

I finished the race with 1:52 on the clock, way off my target. But the views and locations on the route certainly made up for it. Will definitely race this one next year, too!