Satna Half Marathon Draws 5,029 Runners From 22 States, 91 Districts

Satna, October 25, 2026. The seventh edition of the Satna Half Marathon 2026 concluded on Sunday with enthusiastic public participation, sporting spirit and a festive atmosphere across the city. A total of 5,029 runners from 22 states and 91 districts took part in the event, which was organised under the leadership of Dr Rakesh Mishra, president of Pandit Ganesh Prasad Mishra Seva Nyas, as part of the birth centenary celebrations of Shrimati Shanti Mishra.

The participation of about 2,500 women was a special attraction of the marathon. The event was held from the sports ground of Government Venkat Excellence Higher Secondary School Number-1. The 21-kilometre half marathon, 10-kilometre youth run and 5-kilometre Amrit run carried messages of sports, health, fitness, social harmony and women’s empowerment.

The first rays of the sun brought a pink hue to different parts of Satna. The enthusiasm of the runners, participation by residents and welcome arrangements along the route gave the city a festive appearance. The presence of runners from different parts of the country and the pink decorations led to Satna being described as a ‘Pink City’ during the event.

The programme was inaugurated in the presence of Madhya Pradesh government Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Shri Vishwas Kailash Sarang as the chief guest. Among the special guests were Madhya Pradesh government’s Anand Department Minister of State with independent charge Shri Lakhan Patel; Bharatiya Janata Party Madhya Pradesh vice-president and former chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Textbook Corporation Shri Shailendra Barua; vice-president of Madhya Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Shri Sanjeev Kankar; Satna Mayor Shri Yogesh Kumar Tamrakar; Shri Vijay Yadav; BJP district president Shri Bhagwati Prasad Pandey; Birla Vikas Hospital director Dr Sanjay Maheshwari; Sarthak Hospital director Dr Sunil Agrawal; Satish Sukheja; and Chitrakoot Assembly constituency MLA Shri Surendra Singh Gaharwar.

The guests lit a lamp before the portrait of Param Pujya Mataji and received her blessings. After this, the 21-kilometre, 10-kilometre and 5-kilometre races were flagged off with a saffron flag. Runners from different parts of the country took part in the competition with enthusiasm, discipline and sporting spirit.

Addressing the runners, Madhya Pradesh government Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Shri Vishwas Sarang said the seventh edition of the Satna Half Marathon had been organised in an extremely enthusiastic atmosphere. He said the thousands of runners and the pink colour spread across the city had given Satna a different appearance.

According to Sarang, a festive atmosphere was visible in Satna and the event had given the city a new identity as the ‘Pink City’. He praised Dr Rakesh Mishra and Pandit Ganesh Prasad Mishra Seva Nyas for organising the marathon.

Sarang said events of this kind inspire young people to take an interest in sports. He said sporting competitions improve physical health while also encouraging discipline, self-confidence and positive thinking.

Madhya Pradesh government Anand Department Minister of State with independent charge Shri Lakhan Patel said the Satna Half Marathon gave local runners a valuable opportunity to display their talent at the national level. He said the presence of 5,029 participants from 22 states and 91 districts was special in itself.

Patel said the event brought together the culture, enthusiasm and sporting spirit of different states. He described the gathering as a beautiful picture of a miniature India. He said the marathon organised by Dr Rakesh Mishra was a commendable initiative to inspire local players and give them an opportunity to move forward on a larger platform.

According to Patel, such events strengthen sports culture and increase mutual harmony among people from different regions.

Madhya Pradesh government Minister of State Smt Pratima Bagri addressed the players during the closing ceremony. She said sports should be made part of daily life for a healthy body and a positive lifestyle. She said every person should adopt at least one sport according to their interest.

Bagri praised the activities of Dr Rakesh Mishra and Pandit Ganesh Prasad Mishra Seva Nyas. She said continuous work was being carried out through social participation in the fields of the environment, health, education and sports.

She extended her good wishes to all participants for a healthy, happy and active life and congratulated the entire team of the Seva Nyas.

Satna Collector Dr Satish Kumar S. honoured the players and said the Satna Half Marathon should be organised every year. He said programmes of this kind create energy, enthusiasm and a spirit of healthy competition among young people.

The Collector said runners from different states had taken part with sporting spirit and discipline, making the event memorable. The participation of such a large number of runners was a matter of pride for Satna, he said. He added that events of this kind increase awareness about sports in the city and encourage young people to improve their talent.

Satna Mayor Shri Yogesh Kumar Tamrakar praised the social work and organisational ability of Dr Rakesh Mishra, president of Pandit Ganesh Prasad Mishra Seva Nyas. He said Satna had been known through major places such as Maihar, Chitrakoot and Mukundpur, but large events such as the Satna Half Marathon were giving the city a new identity.

Tamrakar said the scale of the event and the wide public participation presented a positive image of Satna. He described the effort as commendable because it brought sports, health, fitness and social participation together on one platform.

He said the large participation of women during the birth centenary celebrations carried a message of health and women’s empowerment.

The marathon dedicated to the birth centenary of Shrimati Shanti Mishra saw the participation of about 2,500 women. Women runners from different age groups took part in the races with enthusiasm. Their participation conveyed that the role of women in health, fitness and sports was steadily increasing.

The large number of women made the event a symbol of women’s power, self-confidence and a healthy lifestyle. Through the marathon, citizens were also encouraged to adopt regular exercise and remain aware of their health.

Residents of Satna welcomed the runners who had arrived from different states and cities. Citizens, social organisations, traders and sports enthusiasts encouraged the participants along the marathon route. Runners were welcomed at different points with flower showers, applause and words of encouragement.

Drinking water and energy drinks were arranged along the route. Medical vehicles and other necessary facilities were also made available to assist the participants. Banners connected with the event and pink decorations gave the city a festive appearance. Players who came from outside experienced the warmth and hospitality of Satna.

Administrative officers also took an active part in the marathon. Satna city Sub-Divisional Magistrate Shri Rahul Saladiya completed the 10-kilometre race. His participation conveyed a message of sporting spirit, discipline and a healthy lifestyle.

Shri Abhay Mahajan, organising secretary of Deendayal Research Institute, also took part in the 5-kilometre race and completed it in 40 minutes. The participation of officers and dignitaries encouraged the runners and underlined the importance of regular physical activity.

Madhya Pradesh government Minister of State Smt Pratima Bagri attended the grand closing ceremony as the chief guest. Shri Abhay Mahajan, organising secretary of Deendayal Research Institute; Collector Dr Satish Kumar S.; Superintendent of Police Shri Hansraj Singh; and Shri Jugal Kayal and Shri Rajesh Garg, who had come from Siliguri in West Bengal, were present at the ceremony along with other dignitaries.

Seva Nyas secretary Smt Asha Rawat, treasurer Smt Rekha Awasthi, Smt Pramila Mishra and Advocate Shri Sankalp Mishra honoured the winners along with the guests. The winners were presented with angavastram, a cloth bag under the plastic-free campaign, a key ring, a pen, a rare Shri Yantra and the prescribed cash prizes.

In the women’s 18 to 45 years category of the 21-kilometre half marathon, Bhopal’s Phoolan Pal secured first place with a time of 1:22:00.71. Khushboo Patel of Varanasi, Resham and Sulochana of Prayagraj, and Pratibha Subhash Chormale of Mumbai also featured in the winners’ list.

In the men’s 18 to 45 years category, Nilesh Dagdu of Palghar, Maharashtra, secured first place with a time of 1:06:58.86. Hukum of Rewari, Haryana; Vipin Singh of Panipat, Haryana; Pankaj Patej of Rewa, Madhya Pradesh; Mohit Kumar of Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh; and Ranjit Kumar of Prayagraj were also included in the winners’ list.

Among women above 45 years, Seema Karan of Delhi and Vidya Dapodkar of Nagpur, Maharashtra, secured first and second places respectively. In the men’s category, Sundar Pal of Panipat, Haryana; Savaleram Shinde of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra; Anil Kumar Rai of Muzaffarpur, Bihar; Naveen Pateriya of Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh; and Anjani Kumar and Teerath Prasad Patel of Delhi secured places in the winners’ list.

In the women’s 12 to 45 years category of the 10-kilometre youth run, Ramni Patel of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, secured first place with a time of 00:39:04.12. Dimple Singh of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, finished second, while Diksha Sandeep Jadhav of Palghar, Maharashtra, finished third. Harshita of Prayagraj finished fourth. Priya Pal and Niharika Singh Chauhan of Betul, Madhya Pradesh, also featured in the winners’ list.

In the men’s category, Ajay Kumar Bind of Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh, secured first place with a time of 00:30:52.57. Kuldeep of Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh; Sumit of Sonipat, Haryana; Akhilesh Yadav of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh; Deepak Singh of Hapur, Uttar Pradesh; and Aman Tomar of Morena, Madhya Pradesh, also put up strong performances.

Among women above 45 years in the 10-kilometre youth run, Shobha Yadav of Nagpur, Maharashtra; Pramila Labkane of Banda; Sunita Suryavanshi of Nagpur; and Vinita Sharma of Jabalpur secured places in the winners’ list.

In the men’s category above 45 years, Mod Bajirao Urkude of Nagpur secured first place. Satna’s Ghanshyam Gupta, Rohit Agrawal, Rajesh Khubchandani and Sunil Tolwani also featured in the winners’ list.

In the women’s category of the 5-kilometre Amrit run, Jyotsna Singh of Satna secured first place with a time of 00:17:27.07. Sandhya Yadav of Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, finished second, while Tanya Amit Dhumak of Thane, Maharashtra, finished third. Madhavi Pal, Renu Kevat and Swati Pandey of Satna also featured in the winners’ list.

In the men’s category, Satna’s Arun Kumar Vishwakarma secured first place with a time of 00:15:04.88. Rajveer of Amroha, Uttar Pradesh; Krishna Kumar of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh; Pawan Poniya of Hathras, Uttar Pradesh; Shani Japati of Sagar, Madhya Pradesh; and Ravi Yadav of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, were included in the winners’ list.

The Satna Half Marathon 2026 delivered messages of health, social harmony, women’s empowerment and national unity through sport. The participation of 5,029 runners from 22 states, the presence of approximately 1,500 women mentioned in the concluding account of the event, the welcome extended by Satna residents and the participation of administrative officers gave the marathon a wide public character.

The initiative by Pandit Ganesh Prasad Mishra Seva Nyas encouraged sports culture in Satna and motivated young people to focus on fitness. It also contributed to giving the city recognition at the national level. Dedicated to the birth centenary of Shrimati Shanti Mishra, the event was described as memorable for its message of sports, service, health and social participation.