Bangladesh is set to witness its first-ever stadium-based ultra-running event titled “Dhaka Stadium Run 2025”, scheduled to be held on 25 and 26 December at the national stadium.
The groundbreaking two-day competition , with the tag line ‘Together For A Breathable Dhaka’c marks a historic milestone for the country, as such events have long been popular across various nations but have never before been organised in Bangladesh, according to a press release.
The event is being arranged by the voluntary sports organisation Coastal Ultra Bangladesh, with full technical and administrative support from the Bangladesh Athletics Federation.
Earlier in February this year, Coastal Ultra Bangladesh organised the country’s longest ultra-marathon along Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive – the world’s longest natural sea beach – featuring four categories under international standards: 50km, 100km, 100 miles and 200km. Nearly 400 local and international runners took part in that event, which aimed to promote Bangladesh on the global sports tourism map.
Ultra-marathon, or ultra-running, refers to any running event that exceeds the standard marathon distance of 42.195 kilometres.
The shortest official ultra-marathon distance is 50 kilometres, and the discipline has gained remarkable international popularity in recent years.
Stadium ultra-running is a specialised format where runners compete inside an athletics arena or specific loop within a stadium.
Unlike traditional races that are distance-based, Dhaka Stadium Run 2025 will be based entirely on time.
Competitors will run continuously for a fixed duration, and their total distance covered within that timeframe will determine their performance.
According to the organisers, the competition will feature four time-based categories: 36 hours, 24 hours, 12 hours and 6 hours. Approximately 400 athletes, both local and foreign, are expected to be selected for participation following an assessment based on international criteria.
Around 200 volunteers will be deployed to support and assist runners throughout the event, which will continue under both daylight and neon stadium lighting.
Registration for participation will open at 8:00pm on 16 November, and only shortlisted athletes will be eligible to compete following the screening process.
Interested participants have been asked to apply via the official website of Coastal Ultra Bangladesh www.coastalultra.com.
