For many, a marathon is about fitness, endurance and the satisfaction of crossing the finishline. But increasingly, the race is becoming just one part of the journey. A growing number of runners are travelling to different cities and countries, combining their love for running with their curiosity to explore new destinations. The trend, popularly known as ‘runcation’, a blend of running and vacation, is slowly changing the way people experience travel.
In Hyderabad, the trend is particularly visible with the growing number of outstation participants at the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon. The 15th edition of the marathon, organised by Hyderabad Runners Society in partnership with NMDC Ltd, IDFC FIRST Bank and the Government of Telangana, will be held on August 29 and 30. With thousands of runners expected to travel to the city, the event is also bringing attention to the larger tourism potential of running. “We are one of the marathons which gets a lot of outstation participants. We are getting close to 4,200 people from outside the Telugu states and another 4,500 from within the Telugu states. Looking at the 32,000 registrations, roughly 8,200 people are from outside the region,” says Rajesh Vetcha, founder of Hyderabad Runners and race director of the NMDC Hyderabad Marathon.
For the city, these numbers translate into more than just participation in a sporting event. Runners often arrive with friends or family, stay overnight, eat out and explore the city before or after the race. “People come with different economic backgrounds, but at a minimum they end up staying one night, while around 30 percent stay for two nights. It has a big economic impact on the city and showcases the brand Hyderabad,” Rajesh says. The upcoming marathon has close to 90 foreign participants, adding an international dimension to what is essentially a sporting event.
For runners, however, the attraction is not simply about collecting medals. Arunkumar Kaliappan, president of Hyderabad Runners Society, believes that running has become a new way of experiencing a destination.
“You see the city in full glory. There is a festive atmosphere and a vibrant scenario to experience. As a runner, you experience the run, and as a visitor, you experience the culture and the confluence of people there,” he says. The trend is also creating a new sense of community among runners. Race organisers are increasingly putting together circuits comprising three or four events, encouraging participants to travel from one destination to another to complete the series. Completing a circuit often comes with special recognition or a medal, adding another incentive to the journey. “It is like a runner’s passport. You want to have an experience of how many different runs you have done,” Arunkumar says. The growing popularity of running tourism is also being viewed from the perspective of the larger travel economy. Sangeetha Parisaboina, incharge, FTCCI Tourism Committee and director, FTCCI, believes marathons can turn a single day of sporting activity into a larger destination experience. “Marathon tourism highlights how sports and travel can create memorable experiences for participants and destinations. It fosters community spirit and boosts local economies, with the potential to transform a race day into a mini vacation,” she says.
Dr Valmiki Hari Kishan, managing partner, Valmiki Travel and Tourism Solutions, Hyderabad, also sees sporting events as increasingly powerful tourism drivers. “Marathons are more than sporting events. In many destinations, marathons become catalysts for pre and post-event tourism, turning participants into travellers and sporting events into powerful engines for local tourism,” says Hari Kishan. Perhaps that is what makes the runcation more than just another travel trend. The race gives travellers a reason to arrive, but the destination gives them a reason to stay. For the modern runner, the finish line may no longer be the end of the journey, it could simply be the beginning of the holiday.