Best friends, superheroes and special athletes shine at Goa Marathon

What better way to start the day than running with your best friend! That’s exactly what Simran Kapoor and her best friend Preethi BS did on Sunday at the Goa Marathon 2026, held at Miramar. "We wanted to run a marathon together and thought, what better place than Goa? I’m based in Bangalore and my bestie is based in Goa, so we decided to take a shorter run this time, which was 10 km,” says Simran.

Avengers fans join in

With over 1,400 participants, the 14th edition of the Goa Marathon 2026 saw runners from different cities join the costume run. Among them were Aleksei and Anna from Russia, dressed as lightning.. “Aleksei dressed as lightning, and I was struck by it! We’re staying in Morjim for three months and run thrice a week on the beach,” says Anna. Avengers fans also joined in, wearing masks for the 5 km run. “We are big fans of the movie series, and since we all owned these masks, we thought we’d run in them. It’s a Sunday well spent,” says Jeruei from the group.

Special needs participants join the run

Inclusion was a key highlight. Tanishka Ramaswamy, 20, with 50% autism, ran the 10 km alongside her father, retired Indian Navy captain Ramaswamy. “I had to accompany her as she needs help to focus. She has participated in many marathons before,” he says. Vishant Narvekar also took part, completing a 2 km race in his wheelchair. “I participate in the marathon to create awareness about inclusion,” he says. The event also featured biking groups that kick-started the marathon, including several women riders.

"We are a couple and wanted something interesting. Pinterest came to the rescue! Aleksei dressed as lightning, and I was struck by it. We’re staying in Morjim for three months and run thrice a week on the beach

• Anna, Russia

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