New Delhi: Every weekend, before the sun is fully up, many Delhi parks and some of its roads fill up with runners. Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park, India Gate and Sanjay Van — places that used to be quiet morning haunts for a handful of joggers — are now packed with groups in matching T-shirts and running shoes, phones strapped to arms, health trackers around wrists and water bottles in hand.Run clubs have mushroomed across Delhi in the last two years, and what started as a fitness trend now looks like a genuine movement. The problem is, the city’s infrastructure hasn’t caught up.Jyotiraditya Thakur, co-founder of Bhag Club, has watched this shift firsthand. When the club was launched two years ago, getting 30 to 40 people out on a Sunday felt like an achievement. “Today, we’ve crossed one lakh followers on social media, our own running app is live and we regularly gather 500 to 700 runners for a single session,” he says.Smaller run clubs have sprung up across the city, Thakur says, adding that members of such clubs have quietly contributed to building one of the fastest-growing communities in urban India.In comparison, Bangkok has parks specifically for runners, with lighting, water stalls, benches and proper crowd management systems, Thakur says. “In Delhi, we’re lucky if a park has working streetlights and clean drinking water,” he says, adding that runners here would love to have accessible tracks, hydration points, basic medical support for large gatherings and some coordination between park authorities and running communities.Joel Eric Pinto, co-founder of Knox, speaks of this disconnect. Abroad, he can step out of his hotel and simply run. There are dedicated paths, marked routes, clean toilets and no traffic to dodge. In Delhi, that’s rarely possible. “We plan for cars, but seldom for runners, cyclists or pedestrians,” he says. Cities built for walking and running also help cut down on short car trips and ease pressure on congested roads, he says, adding that such dedicated lanes are public health investments.Restaurateur and wellness enthusiast Sahil Marwaha has watched Delhi’s running scene move from a handful of solo loops in Lodhi Garden and Nehru Park to a citywide movement. But urban planning hasn’t factored in the needs of this community, he rues.He wants future infra to incorporate safer paths, better-maintained parks, police trained to manage runners on the road, hydration points and cleaner air in winter. “Delhi is blessed with greenery, but stuck with poor upkeep of facilities,” he says. As more people take their fitness seriously, he believes govt needs to match that shift with real investment.Amna Ahmed of Adidas Runners makes a case that goes beyond mere convenience. Dedicated lanes, she says, will give runners a predictable, safer space, away from constant conflict with traffic. That safety net matters most especially for beginners, women, older adults and children. “Around the world, cities are recognising running as an essential part of urban life and means of improving public health, mental wellbeing and social connection. As Delhi’s running community continues to grow, it’s time for our city planning to evolve alongside it,” she hopes.Reeti Sahai, who runs her own running community, Run with Reeti, says thousands regularly turn out at the city’s few safe pockets — India Gate, Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park and Sanjay Van — proving that the appetite for running is real. Running lanes need to be part of a city’s future planning, she says, adding, “Delhi has the potential to become one of the world’s great running hubs, but we need infrastructure that supports this movement. Investing in running-friendly spaces is an investment in a healthier, happier city.”
