Over 4,000 young and old runners and fitness enthusiasts from across the state took part in the fourth edition of the Dasara Marathon, held in Mangaluru as part of Dasara by the Kudroli Gokarnanatha Temple, on Sunday morning (October 18, 2026).

Sporting T-shirts in white and yellow bearing the message “One city, one spirit, where unity means strength.” The runners took part in the four marathon categories, all of which commenced from the temple.

The first was the 21k run, wherein the runners passed along illuminated Alake Road and part of MG Road, covered Bejai, Kapikad Road, Kavoor Lake, and Bondel, and then returned to the temple.

The next event was the 10K run, which covered Alake Road, Narayana Guru Circle, Bejai Kapikad Road, and Kuntikana. In the 5K run, participants ran the same route, made a U-turn near Hotel Anmol on Bejai Kapikad Road, and then returned to the temple. The last event was the 3K fun run, in which the runners covered the distance between the temple and Narayana Guru Circle.

The start of the runs was delayed by 30 minutes, and the first run started at 6 a.m. The event ended around 9 a.m. Long-distance runners faced problems due to a short supply of water along the route. Mangaluru City Police and other volunteers stopped traffic at main traffic junctions to enable unhindered runs for participants. A team of doctors from KMC set up a camp on the temple premises to attend to cramps and other problems faced by runners. Ambulances were also placed along the route to attend to runners who experienced discomfort during the run.

Among those who took part in the event were Assistant Commissioner of Police (South) Vijaykranthi, Temple Management Committee Treasurer R. Padmaraj (who is also the Dakshina Kannada District Congress President), and other dignitaries who flagged off the runs.