Indian Navy Half Marathon Delhi 2026

I had been resting and recovering after the Tata Mumbai Marathon, with very little preparation for this race. Four days before it, I returned to a workout session after a long break and tried to make up for lost time with far too many box jumps and squats. My thighs and legs were so sore afterwards that I could barely walk, and they had not recovered by race morning.

It was cold, but I was sweating heavily almost immediately. I pushed hard through the first five kilometres; the moment I slowed down, getting back to that pace felt impossible. I was already drenched, the cold Delhi wind left me shivering, and my legs felt too stiff and sore to lift properly.

I continued at a slower pace, with every step hurting, and finished with a performance that reminded me of my first Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon in 2024. I did not enjoy this race. For much of it, I kept wondering why I had gone to that workout at all. The lesson was uncomplicated: a missed block of training cannot be recovered in one ambitious session four days before a half marathon.