New Delhi: Delhi Metro has released an advisory stating that they will begin operations earlier than usual on Sunday, 22 February 2026, to support participants of the New Delhi Marathon. The advisor is issued ahead of race day to ensure smooth, hassle-free travel for thousands of runners and volunteers heading to the starting points in the early hours of the morning.
According to the notice, metro services will start from selected terminal stations at 3:30 am and will run at 30-minute intervals until 6:00 am. After that, services will switch back to the regular Sunday timetable. Early operations will be available on the Yellow, Blue, and Violet Lines.
The move is expected to significantly ease travel for runners, especially those participating in the full and half marathon categories whose race times begin before sunrise. Services on all other metro lines will continue as per the normal Sunday schedule.
Service Update
To facilitate participants of the New Delhi Marathon 2026 on Sunday, 22nd February 2026, Delhi Metro train services will begin early from the terminal stations at 03:30 AM and continue to operate till 06:00 AM at 30-minute intervals, followed by the regular Sunday…
— Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) February 20, 2026
Services on key routes
On the Yellow Line, trains will run between Samaypur Badli and Millennium City Centre Gurugram. The Blue Line will operate from Dwarka Sector-21 to Noida Electronic City and Vaishali while the Violet Line will run between Kashmere Gate and Raja Nahar Singh. These corridors cover major residential and commercial zones, marking them crucial for marathon day movement.
Landmark edition schedule
The New Delhi Marathon, recognised by the Athletics Federation of India, is India’s certified national marathon. Now in its 11th edition, the Cognizant New Delhi Marathon 2026 is set to welcome over 30,000 runners, including elite athletes, corporate teams and defence personnel. The marathon is scheduled for 22 February 2026.
The marathon elite category is set to flag off at 4:00 am, followed by the open marathon at 4:05 am. The half-marathon is scheduled for 6:15 am, the 10 km race at 7:45 am and the 5 km run at 8:30 am. With staggered start times, early metro services are expected to play a key role in managing crowd flow.
With early support from Delhi Metro, the city is gearing up to deliver another smooth and memorable marathon morning on coming Sunday.