Competitors at the 13th edition of the Indian Open Race Walk Competition in Chandigarh will participate in the newly introduced 21km (half marathon walk) and 42km (full marathon walk) events for senior men and women. This marks the first time Indian athletes will compete in these events, following their introduction by the global governing body in track and field, World Athletics. Previously, the standard distances for senior men and women were 20km and 35km in all World Athletics-sanctioned competitions until the 2025 season.
The men’s half-marathon walk (21km) will feature four Paris Olympians, including Akshdeep Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht, Suraj Panwar, and Vikash Singh, alongside dominant athlete Servin Sebastain. Servin, who represented India at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships, expressed confidence in his preparation for the event. Additionally, Germany’s Frederick Weigel will be the sole foreign athlete in the men’s 21km event.
In the men’s full marathon walk (42km), notable participants include Olympian Sandeep Kumar and Commonwealth Games medallist, competing against 31 registered athletes. The women’s full marathon walk will see Olympian Priyanka Goswami facing off against Payal from Uttarakhand and Manju from Punjab, with only nine athletes entering this category. The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has arranged for three foreign race walk judges, including one from Malaysia, to oversee the competition alongside Indian officials.
Apart from the marathon events, the competition will also include races in senior men’s and women’s 10km categories, with a 5km race walk for U20 participants. The competition is scheduled to start at 7 am on both days, featuring a range of events including the full marathon walk, half-marathon walk, and 10km races for men and women on Saturday, followed by the half-marathon walk and 5km race walk for U20 participants on Sunday.
