The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon (VDHM) 2026 brought together more than 40,000 runners in the national capital, contributing 50 lakh meals through the #RunForZeroHunger initiative. With every kilometre covered translating into a meal for a child or an animal in need through the Anil Agarwal Foundation’s Nand Ghar and The Animal Care Organisation (TACO) initiatives, the campaign’s
cumulative contribution has crossed 2.7 crore meals over five editions, marking five years of Vedanta’s association with the marathon. Sporting icons Mary Kom, Pramod Bhagat and Mahesh Bhupathi also joined the event to celebrate fitness, solidarity and social impact.
The races were flagged off by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, alongside senior Vedanta executives, including Arun Misra, CEO, Vedanta Group, and Rahul Sharma, President–Strategy, Vedanta Group. The event featured multiple categories, including the Half Marathon, Police Cup, Champions with Disability and Senior Citizens Run, Open 10K and Great Delhi Run, promoting participation across age groups and abilities. More than 22,000 Vedanta employees, senior executives and business partners also supported the movement from different locations across India through walkathons, mini-marathons and activities on the Step Set Go app.
Commenting on the occasion, Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Non-Executive Director, Vedanta, and Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Ltd., said, “With 40,000 runners taking to the streets, this year’s Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon celebrated sporting excellence, personal determination and the extraordinary power of collective action. From elite athletes pushing the limits of performance to first-time runners discovering their strength, every participant showed how sport can inspire us to go further—for ourselves and for others. Together with everyone who contributed their kilometres to Run For Zero Hunger, we achieved this year’s target of 5 million meals. At the Anil Agarwal Foundation, we believe sport has the power to build champions and transform lives. Every personal best and every finish line became part of a bigger victory—a step towards a better-nourished India.”
The initiative is part of the Anil Agarwal Foundation’s broader social development efforts. Its flagship Nand Ghar programme operates more than 16,000 modernised anganwadis across 18 states, focusing on nutrition, healthcare, early childhood education and women’s empowerment. Through TACO, the Foundation extends its efforts to animal welfare, while Vedanta Sports supports grassroots sporting programmes, including football academies, archery, hockey and running events across India. Adding a distinctive element to this year’s marathon, the finisher’s medal was crafted from high-grade zinc sourced from Hindustan Zinc’s Zawar Mines in Udaipur, Rajasthan. Together, these initiatives seek to connect sporting participation with nutrition, community development, animal welfare and wider social impact.
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