\u201cThe World Athletics---global governing body in track and field--had introduced half-marathon walk and full marathon walk events last year,\u201d chief national athletics coach Radhakrishnan Nair said. \u201cIt is for the first time that Indian athletes will compete in the newly introduced events,\u201d he said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Till the 2025 season, the standard distance in senior men and women was 20km and 35km in all competitions sanctioned by World Athletics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The main attraction during the two-day extravaganza will be the men's half-marathon walk (21km). Four Paris Olympians --Akshdeep Singh, Paramjeet Singh Bisht, Suraj Panwar, and Vikash Singh -- will be seen in action on Sunday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
All four will be battling with Servin Sebastain, who had dominated the 2025 season and represented India at the Tokyo World Athletics Championships in Japan. Servin is all set to compete in the 21km event. \u201cPreparation has been on track. I\u2019m healthy and expect good performance on Sunday,\u201d Servin said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Germany\u2019s promising race walker, Frederick Weigel, is the lone foreign athlete in the men\u2019s 21km event.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The field is equally impressive in the men\u2019s full marathon walk (42km). Olympian and Commonwealth Games medallist (10km walk), Sandeep Kumar, is prominent among 31 athletes registered for the competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Former World U20 medallist, Amit, and Ram Baboo will also test their endurance over a full marathon walk event in Chandigarh.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the women\u2019s full marathon walk, Olympian Priyanka Goswami will battle with Payal (Uttarakhand) and Manju (Punjab) for supremacy. Only nine athletes have entered for the women\u2019s full marathon walk.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) has also invited three foreign race walk judges, including one from Malaysia, to oversee the two-day competition. Along with foreign officials, Indian judges will also coordinate the smooth conduct of the competition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Apart from full marathon walk and half marathon walk, competition will also be held in senior men's and women\u2019s 10km. The distance for U20 will be 5km.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The competition on Saturday and Sunday will commence at 7 am.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Apart from full marathon walk and half marathon walk, competition will also be held in senior men's and women\u2019s 10km. The distance for U20 will be 5km.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Sunday: Half-marathon walk (men and women), 5km race walk (U20 men and women).<\/p>\r\n\r\n