The grounds of Narmad South Gujarat University have transformed into a race venue on January 4, 2026. Thousands of people gathered for the Run for Girl Child in Surat, as the marathon combined physical endurance with the empowerment of the girl child. As Indian urban stories had deep roots in inequality, Surat offered a different narrative. The city is mainly known for its diamond industry and textile industry and is also home to Gujarat's largest urban slum population. Based on the harsh reality, many of the girls continue to face barriers in education, healthcare, safety and self-reliance. The marathon Run For Girl Child to confront this issue using the universal language of sports to create awareness, resources and action.

The marathon was organised by Dr Hedgewar Smruti Seva Samithi, Surat, a charitable trust founded in 1988 that operates under the principle of “Service before Self”. Over the past three decades, the trust had a strong presence in almost 130 slum neighbourhoods in Surat, working to uplift low-income families through education, healthcare and women's empowerment. In the legacy of Dr K.B. Hedgewar, the organisation has consistently worked to uplift families through selfless service, with special emphasis on women and children.

The Run For Girl Child event is not only a race but also the public face of a long-term social movement, from the years of groundwork through Pathdan Kendras that offer free, value-based education to children. Kishori Vikas Kendras help empower adolescent girls with life skills and vocational training, as well as health interventions that bring essential medical services directly into communities. The marathon invites the entire city to run by transforming social responsibility into a shared civic act.

The 2026 edition of the Run For Girl Child had participants of 8000 runners across all categories, including the half-marathon, 10-kilometre timed run, 5-kilometre run and shorter family-oriented distances. The event had a diversity of participants from first-time runners to corporate teams. Each step of the run is towards the future of girls: to be educated, confident and economically independent.

The event was flagged off by Jay Shah, the chairman of the International Cricket Council, who also attended as the chief guest, along with industrialists, community leaders and members of the organising committee. Their presence helped raise awareness that empowering girls is not just a social issue but the priority that demands leadership, visibility and sustained commitment. The race operations met the highest standards expected for a city-scale marathon.

Timing Technologies is the official timing partner, using advanced timing systems to deliver accurate and reliable results. Timing Technologies, with their technical excellence, provides a user-friendly race experience. Funds raised by the marathon are used to support the Trust’s expansion of its network of Kishori Vikas Kendras, which have witnessed extraordinary growth in recent times. The program has reached the city-wide movement by empowering adolescent girls across Surat slums.

Educating a girl child helps in delaying early marriage for girls, improves healthy family outcomes, increases life-time earnings and breaks the cycle of poverty. These interventions can make the difference between lifelong marginalisation and meaningful insights. It functions as both a fundraiser that individual programs alone cannot achieve. The event has turned passive concern into active participation in support of the girl child. Actual progress is earned when growth is attended by inclusion, when wealth reaches the last lane of the previous slum and when every girl is allowed to learn, lead and thrive.

As the runners crossed the finish line at VNSGU, the crowd slowly began to disperse. It was not just a memory of a marathon but a momentum of movement. The Run for Girl Child Surat 2026 demonstrated that when a city chooses to run together for its daughters, it does more than complete a race—it begins to change its future.