The LSR Colombo Marathon, one of Sri Lanka’s longest-established International Sporting Events and a significant initiative promoting Sri Lanka as a destination for Recreational and Sports activities, will celebrate its 20th Edition on Sunday, 4th October 2026.
Organized by Lanka Sportreizen (LSR), the Event was originally introduced with the objective of promoting Sri Lanka beyond its traditional image as a sun-and-sand holiday destination and demonstrating its potential as a destination for active holidays, recreational activities and sports tourism.
The inaugural Marathon was held in 1998 at the historic Galle Dutch Fort, attracting 28 foreign runners and 328 Sri Lankan participants. Over the years, the Event has been conducted in Galle, Negombo, Kandy, Dambulla and Colombo, steadily gaining popularity among both Local and International Runners. In 2004, the Event was renamed the LSR Colombo Marathon, following the convention of Internationally recognized City Marathons.
The Event is recognized by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) and forms part of the International long-distance running calendar. The LSR Colombo Marathon has also provided Sri Lankan athletes with an opportunity to compete alongside runners from around the world, while encouraging wider participation in distance running among the country’s youth and schoolchildren.
The popularity of the Event grew significantly over the years, reaching almost 8,500 participants in 2017.
Following the 2018 Edition, the Event could not be conducted from 2019 onwards due to the difficult circumstances prevailing in the country, including the Easter Sunday attacks, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic crisis.
With conditions returning to normal and Sri Lanka’s tourism sector moving towards recovery, LSR revived the Event in 2025, successfully conducting the 19th Edition on 5th October 2025.
The 20th LSR Colombo Marathon 2026 will now take place on Sunday, 4th October 2026, with approximately 1,000 participants representing 33 countries, including around 150 International Runners.
International participation is expected from countries including India, China, Kenya, Australia, Poland, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Japan, Pakistan Russia, among others.
The 2026 Event will feature four Categories:
- Full Marathon – 42.195 km
- Half Marathon – 21.097 km
- 10 km Fun Run
- 5 km Fun Run
The Full and Half Marathons will include Open and Veteran categories for Men and Women, while the 10 km and 5 km Events will include Open.
The Full Marathon will be flagged off from the Traffic Light Junction in the vicinity of BMICH, Colombo 07, and will proceed through Borella, Dematagoda, Peliyagoda, Wattala, Pamunugama, Thalahena, Pitipana and Duwa, before finishing at the Negombo Beach Park.
The route provides International Participants with an opportunity to experience the changing landscape and communities of the Western Province while combining a major sporting challenge with a destination experience.
The LSR Colombo Marathon was conceived not only as a Sporting Event but also as a platform to support broader national objectives. Its principal aims include promoting Sri Lanka as a safe and welcoming destination for recreational activities, encouraging schoolchildren and young people to participate in sport, providing rural and emerging Sri Lankan athletes with opportunities to compete alongside International Runners, and introducing a stronger “Fun Running” and healthy lifestyle culture within Sri Lankan society.
For LSR, the Colombo Marathon forms part of its wider commitment to promoting Sri Lanka as a destination for adventure, recreation and sports tourism, complementing the company’s long-standing involvement in water sports, scuba diving, camping, canoeing, hiking, biking and other nature-based activities.
The 20th LSR Colombo Marathon 2026 therefore marks not only two decades of an International Sporting Event in Sri Lanka, but also LSR’s continuing effort to position the country as a destination where visitors can experience Sri Lanka through active participation rather than simply observe it.
