SDSL half marathon to host World Masters Athletics qualifier

Kolkata: For the first time, the Safe Drive Save Life (SDSL) Half Marathon organised by Kolkata Police in association with the Transport department will feature a qualifier round in the 19 km and 21 km categories for the World Masters Athletics Championships 2026, scheduled in Daegu, South Korea, from August 22 to September 3 next year.

One winner from each of the two categories will get a chance to represent India in the international meet. Selection of participants for the South Korea event will be based on age-group criteria. Kolkata Police is also considering making medals out of e-waste from the next edition of the SDSL Half Marathon as part of an eco-friendly initiative.

On Wednesday, Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Verma, in the presence of Additional CP (IV) Pandey Santosh, DC (Traffic) Yeilwad Shrikant Jagannathrao and other senior officials, officially announced that the sixth edition of the SDSL Half Marathon will be held on January 18. The official logo was also unveiled.

Addressing the gathering, the CP said special focus this year will be on keeping city roads clean. Sources said that in previous editions, roads had become dirty despite dustbins being placed along the route. “The cleanliness part will be looked after. We will try to keep the city as clean as possible, especially for this event,” Verma said.

This year, Kolkata Police has partnered with the Masters Athletics Federation of India (MAFI), which has recognised the SDSL Half Marathon, giving the event an international standard. As in earlier years, the marathon will have three categories—5 km, 10 km and 21 km—with the 5 km being a “run for fun”.

Registrations opened on Wednesday evening on kpsdsl.halfmarathon.in.