Final preparations have begun for the Dhiraagu Maldives Road Race (DMRR), which takes place on Friday 20 November 2026 at Hulhumalé Central Park, Dhiraagu says.

More than 5,600 runners from around the world are taking part. Dhiraagu calls it the biggest run in the Maldives.

Races and team categories

The event includes:

  • Half marathon

  • 10K

  • 5K

  • Newly introduced team categories

The team categories, announced when registration opened in August, are:

  • Corporate

  • Resort

  • Running clubs

  • Colleges and universities

Each team has four runners, and one champion team is named in each category. Cash prizes across the categories total MVR 296,000.

Ranking race with a cause

Dhiraagu announced on 20 October that DMRR 2026 is a World Athletics Ranking Competition, so eligible performances can count towards athletes' World Athletics rankings. The route is World Athletics-certified and the race is listed on the AIMS World Running Calendar.

Registration has closed. It was first capped at 4,000 and expanded because of demand, and Dhiraagu says this is the highest participation to date.

The race is dedicated to child protection and gives NGOs a platform to advocate for children's rights and raise funds. MVR 200,000 goes to the top five NGOs nominated by participants, and MVR 100 from each registration plus all special-bib proceeds is split equally among endorsed NGOs.

Training advice

Dhiraagu says the aim is to encourage healthy habits and give everyone, from experienced runners to newcomers, a platform to join. It urges runners to put their own health first and to train under experienced coaches with this year's coaching partners: The Wellness Club, Island Runners Maldives and Marathon Runners Maldives.

The latest details are on Dhiraagu's social media and the race website.