Delhi Half Marathon runners will be able to commute via Delhi Metro for free on October 18. Special trains would be available across red, yellow, blue and violet lines for the day. Check timings.
If you are one of the participants of the Delhi Half Marathon at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium this Sunday, commuting to the venue has just got easier with Delhi Metro. To ensure smooth transit for the runners and attendees, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has now scheduled special early-morning operations across major stations on October 18.
Delhi Metro Sunday timings for Red, Yellow, Blue and Violet Lines
On Sunday, Delhi Metro train operations will commence at 03:30 am from terminal stations across four primary routes, including the Red Line (Rithala to Shaheed Sthal New Bus Adda), the Yellow Line (Samaypur Badli to Millennium City Centre Gurugram), the Blue Line (Dwarka Sector-21 extending to both Noida Electronic City and Vaishali), and the Violet Line (Kashmiri Gate to Raja Nahar Singh).
Train timings for October 18
To accommodate early risers and those who would be heading for the marathon, trains on these four lines will run every 15 minutes, starting from 03:30 am and 04:15 am. The metro trains would be shifting to a 20-minute frequency from 04:15 am until 06:00 am.
Daily commute remains unaffected
While these are additional trains for the day, regular Sunday timetables will resume from 06:00 am onward. All remaining metro lines will follow their respective Sunday schedules throughout the day on October 18.
“Early Resumption of Metro Services on Red Line, Yellow Line, Blue Line and Violet Line on 18th October, 2026 (Sunday) for Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2026,” shared the official handle of DMRC on X.
How Delhi Half Marathon runners can travel for free
To streamline the commuters, event organizers have reportedly facilitated complimentary metro transit. This is only applicable for registered runners, as per a report by Jagran.
Runners who are eligible for this facility, will be able to travel for free.
Participants must collect special QR-code wristbands alongside their race bibs.
The organisers have arranged dedicated volunteers who will be stationed at key metro stations, including JLN Stadium, Jor Bagh, Janpath, and Jangpura, to guide participants and assist with crowd management during peak hours.
Delhi Half Marathon route change amid protests
On Wednesday, the organisers of the marathon announced "minor refinements" to the initial route for Sunday's race. It said that the Open 10K event will start from the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium instead of Sansad Marg, which previously witnessed massive protests against the ECE Gyanesh Kumar in the past few days.
"With race day almost here, preparations continue in close coordination with the relevant authorities. Every decision centres on the safety and experience of our runners and the wider community," the organisers said in a statement, as quoted by PTI.
Talking about the safety of the event, Delhi Police Traffic Inspector, Defence Colony, Madhurendra Kumar said about 200 personnel will be deployed to "ensure smooth movement and security along the route".
"Delhi Police is fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of every runner. We have been working closely with the organisers over the past one-and-a-half months to prepare for race day," Kumar added.
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