For the second time the Taj Mahal

Marathon will be run in October 2009.

Starting from the sleepy village of Niyamat Pur, the route follows a good tarmac road through beautiful rural countryside and villages, before joining the main highway to Agra. The highway runs through fertile fields dotted with eucalyptus trees and mango groves, and past small bazaars and hamlets lining the side of the road. With 7 km to go, we turn from the main highway and onto the secondary Fatehabad road, where we run past rickshaws and bullock carts until a picture perfect view of the Taj Mahal unfolds over the final kilometres. The final straight takes us into the heritage garden of the Taj Mehtab Bagh (Moon garden) on the banks of the Yamuna River, with direct views of the Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is India’s most celebrated monument and was built as a symbol of Sha Jahan’s eternal love for his bride Mumtaz. It was built over a period of 20 years by 20,000 labourers and craftsmen, the overall architectural design is as exquisite as the close up detail of semi precious stones inlaid into the marble surface.

The Extreme Challenge

The extreme element for this marathon is the heat. Temperatures can rise to around 35ºc during the day and there is no shade along the route. This is not a marathon for the faint hearted or novice runner, and we recommend that all participants can run a normal road marathon in under 6 hours.

Because of the elements and the route, (we have to cross a railway line and you may have to wait for the train to pass!) this will not be a fast marathon. We also recommend that all runners start the race carrying a minimum of 1litre of water in either bottles or hydration system. There will be 4 water stations en route for you to re-hydrate