The 8th Madurai Marathon set a new participation record with 25,000 runners from 40 countries converging on the temple city for the event, which included full marathon, half marathon and 10km categories.
Kenya's Eliud Wanjiku won the full marathon in 2:05:34, while Indian runner Nitendra Singh Rawat finished second in 2:07:11 — his personal best.
In the women's category, Hawi Feysa of Ethiopia won in 2:21:45. Tamil Nadu's Divya Kumari became the fastest Indian woman with a time of 2:31:07.
The marathon route passes through the historic streets of Madurai, including the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple perimeter, offering runners a unique cultural experience.
Madurai district collector Vishnu Chandran said the event generated over ₹15 crore in economic activity for the city.