Thousands of runners on Sunday took part in the Wipro Bengaluru Marathon – an event that was marred by severe logistical failures, including empty drinking water stations and overcrowding along the course. Participants in the 13th edition of the annual event, which was organised by NEB Sports, took to social media to share their concerns, calling the management an “absolute disaster”. Most of the runners expressed their anger over the shortage of drinking water along key stretches of the route.
“Everything was fine until the 10 km mark,” said half-marathon participant Ekta Sirohi. “After that, I came across water stations that were totally empty. I was highly disappointed.”
Other runners flagged public health concerns, highlighting the incident when organisers allegedly used recycled, unwashed plastic cups due to a shortage of supplies.
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Long-distance athletes noted that running long stretches in warm weather without hydration created genuine health risks for participants.
A user named Shaaz A Khan shared their experience on X (formerly Twitter), claiming that after water stations between the 6 km mark and the 16-17 km mark didn’t have any water. “It was a post-apocalyptic scene, watching people reach out and empty every water can just for a sip,” he wrote.
“And all this, right at the most gruelling part of the run near the MG Road flyover. For full marathoners, this was their kilometre 25-35 stretch. Looking at everyone panting, I was genuinely scared of witnessing a cardiac arrest.”
In addition to the water shortage, participants criticised the race layout and poor crowd management. Half-marathon and full-marathon runners expressed frustration over route merges, where faster runners collided with larger crowds from the 5 km and 10 km categories.
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Official response of NEB Sports
Addressing the backlash, NEB Sports apologised to the participants and shared their response on Instagram, writing, “We acknowledge the shortcomings in the delivery of the event and take full responsibility for the operational issues that were within our control, including the management of on-course hydration. This fell short of the experience and care that participants deserved.”
“We also apologise to our title sponsor and partners, who have placed their trust in us over the years to deliver this event to the expected standard.”
“We are reviewing participant feedback and conducting an immediate assessment of the operational gaps. We deeply value the trust placed in us by every participant, partner, and supporter, and are committed to learning from this experience and doing better.”