The wait is over. Procam International has published the official route maps for the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2026 — all categories, all marked distance points. With race day on Sunday, 18 October, runners now have everything they need to plan their effort. There are two confirmed changes from previous editions: the Open 10K starts from JLN Stadium, not Sansad Marg, and the half marathon course has seen minor internal adjustments within its established footprint.
The context for the changes: Sansad Marg has been the site of protests against the Election Commission over the past week. Procam cited runner “safety and experience” in its statement, shifted the 10K start and made adjustments to the half marathon routing. The maps posted to the official DelhiHM Facebook page confirm the “minor refinements” referenced earlier this week stay within the course landmarks runners already know.
Half Marathon Route Confirmed: Lodhi Road, India Gate and Kartavya Path All On
The core half marathon course is intact. Start and finish at JLN Stadium. The route runs south along Bhishma Pitamah Marg and Lodhi Road to the first U-turn, heads north and east across Dr Zakir Hussain Marg, over the Mathura Road flyover, into the India Gate C-Hexagon and down Kartavya Path to the second U-turn near Seva Teerth, then back through India Gate to JLN Stadium. Twenty marked distance points on course. Route maps are courtesy of Procam International.
The Mathura Road flyover at around 5-6 km remains the only real elevation on the course — a gentle climb you will hit twice. Do not attack it on the way out. The India Gate section, with Kartavya Path fully open ahead of you as dawn breaks, is still the centrepiece of this race and one of the finest stretches in Indian road running.
Open 10K Route: Now Starts and Finishes at JLN Stadium
The Open 10K has been rerouted to reflect the start venue change. It now starts and finishes at JLN Stadium at 7:35 AM. The route heads south along Lodhi Road to a U-turn, returns north and loops via Subramaniam Bharti Marg back to the stadium. No Sansad Marg, no Janpath — the course is entirely within the Lodhi Road and Subramaniam Bharti Marg corridor.
If your race-morning plan was built around getting to Sansad Marg, rebuild it around JLN Stadium. Metro and logistics details are below.
VDHM 2026 Race Timings for Sunday, 18 October
All categories start and finish at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
| Category | Start Time |
|---|---|
| Half Marathon – Elite Men | 5:18 AM |
| Half Marathon – Elite Women | 5:20 AM |
| Half Marathon & Police Cup | 5:30 AM (subject to govt approval) |
| Champions with Disability & Senior Citizens’ Run | 6:30 AM |
| Open 10K | 7:35 AM — from JLN Stadium |
| Corporate Run | 9:00 AM |
| Great Delhi Run | 9:05 AM |
Getting to JLN on Sunday: Metro, E-Rickshaws and Parking
Delhi Metro starts at 3:30 AM on 18 October on Lines 1 (Red), 2 (Yellow), 3/4 (Blue) and 6 (Violet). Trains run every 15 minutes until 4:15 AM, then every 20 minutes until regular services begin. All registered participants get complimentary metro travel on race day. E-rickshaws will run from Jor Bagh Metro Station to the JLN Stadium drop-off point for the last mile.
Parking stickers for personal vehicles were distributed at the PLAYSCAPE Expo on a first-come first-served basis. If you have one, parking is available at the venue. If not, the metro is your fastest and easiest option.
Delhi Police is deploying around 200 personnel and 70-80 traffic officers along the route. Medical coverage includes 450 staff on duty, 11 on-route medical stations, 12 ACLS ambulances and a post-finish base camp with an ICU setup — the most extensive medical plan in VDHM history to match a record field of over 41,000 participants. Race day proceedings will be streamed live from 5:00 AM on the Procam International YouTube channel and the World Athletics YouTube channel.
The bottom line: The maps are out, the logistics are in place and the course is the one Delhi runners know. The Open 10K start change is the only thing that requires an action from you — if you are running that category, plan for JLN Stadium, not Sansad Marg. Half marathon runners, your route is confirmed. Get your kit ready, set your alarm for 3:00 AM and go run a good race.
For the full course breakdown section by section — U-turns, the Mathura Road flyover strategy, qualifying criteria, cut-off times and October weather tips — see our complete race guide: Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2026: Complete Guide →