Running Culture: A Sociological Study of the Rise of Marathon Culture in Manipur

In Manipur, Long distance running as a recreational and fitness activity has gained popularity in the recent years. However, there is limited research in this regional context. Therefore, this study tries to understand the rise of marathon culture in Manipur from sociological perspective. Our study aims to understand the factors contributing to the rise of marathon events in Manipur and to find out what motivates people to participate and the broader social and cultural significance of this emerging trend. The study used a mixed method approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data collected through interviews, participant observation, questionnaires and secondary sources. The analysis is guided by Bourdieu’s habitus, Durkheim’s collective effervescence and Mead’s Symbolic interactionalism. The study findings imply that Marathon participation is influenced by individual motivation such as health, personal challenges and enjoyment and broader social influences such as peer networks and social media. Marathon events promote social cohesion and identity formation with participants identifying themselves as “runners”. However, the question of sustainability, accessibility and organisational constraints remain, showing how marathon culture act as a site of social change.

Community engagement; Fitness and lifestyle; Half-marathon; Long-distance running; Manipur; Marathon culture

1. Banerjee, A. B., Tomar, A., Saxena, Y., & Banerjee, A. (2024). Motivational factors influencing marathon running: A qualitative approach. International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 14(4), 1094–1100. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Bramble, D. M., & Lieberman, D. E. (2004). Endurance running and the evolution of Homo. Nature, 432, 345–352. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03052 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice (R. Nice, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511812507 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Cashmore, E. (2002). Sports culture: An A–Z guide. Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Coakley, J. (2015). Sports in society: Issues and controversies. McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Couture, J. (2021). Running together, even when we’re apart: Seeking community, being ‘connected’, and consuming together (Doctoral dissertation, The University of British Columbia). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Durkheim, E. (1995). The elementary forms of religious life (K. E. Fields, Trans.). Free Press. (Original work published 1912) [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Flear, N. (2024). The rising running culture in India. https://www.nathanflear.co.uk/running-in-india/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Gorczyca, A., Jankowski, T., & Oles, P. (2016). Does running a first marathon influence general self-efficacy and positive orientation? International Journal of Sport Psychology, 47, 466–482. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Government of Manipur. (2011). Working plan of Bishnupur, Central and Thoubal Forest Divisions (2010–2011 to 2019–2020). Forest Department, Government of Manipur. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hillman, P., Lamont, M., Scherrer, P., & Kennelly, M. (2021). Reframing mass participation events as active leisure: Implications for tourism and leisure research. Tourism Management Perspectives, 39, 100865. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2021.100865 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Jarvie, G. (2006). Sport, culture and society: An introduction. Routledge. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Jaychandran, C. J. Endurance Sports: Road to Fitness Consciousness and Societal Health. https://www.iipa.org.in/publication/public/uploads/article/39841712053409.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Lawlor, D. A., & Hopker, S. W. (2001). The effectiveness of exercise as an intervention in the management of depression: Systematic review and meta-regression analysis of randomized controlled trials. British Medical Journal, 322, 763–767. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self, and society: From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. University of Chicago Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Modi, I., & Vivek, P. S. (2018). Leisure and Consumption of Youth in India. In Handbook of the Sociology of Youth in BRICS Countries. World Scientific. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Nikolaidis, P. T., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2018). Sex differences in the age of peak marathon race time. Chinese Journal of Physiology, 61, 85–91. https://doi.org/10.4077/CJP.2018.BAG535 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Partyka, A., & Waśkiewicz, Z. (2024). Motivation of marathon and ultra-marathon runners: A narrative review. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 17, 2519–2531. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S464053 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Patelis, S. (2023). Sports Studies in India: Expanding the Field. ResearchGate. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Penedo, F. J., & Dahn, J. R. (2005). Exercise and well-being: A review of mental and physical health benefits associated with physical activity. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 18, 189–193. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001504-200503000-00013 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Philip, S. (2018). A City of Men? An Ethnographic Enquiry into Cultures of Youth Masculinities in Urban India. University of Oxford. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Shipway, R., & Holloway, I. (2010). Running free: Embracing a healthy lifestyle through distance running. Perspectives in Public Health, 130(6), 270–276. https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913910379191 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Singh, R. S. (2021). Why Manipur excels in sports and connects with local culture. Esamskriti. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Stevinson, C., & Hickson, M. (2013). Exploring the public health potential of a mass community participation event. Journal of Public Health, 36(2), 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdt082 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Team195bpm. (2026). Imphal Half Marathon 1st Edition [Instagram post]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DSP6oX6krCK/?igsh=NGpxeXVscnAzcWo= [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Tewari, S. (2025). Hundred Years of Sociology in India: The Way Forward for Sociology of Sports at Home and the World. Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Waśkiewicz, Z., Nikolaidis, P. T., Gerasimuk, D., Borysiuk, Z., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2019). What motivates successful marathon runners? The role of sex, age, education, and training experience in Polish runners. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 1671. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01671 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• Assessment of the Role of Artificial Intelligence in Repositioning TVET for Economic Development in Nigeria
• Teachers’ Use of Assure Model Instructional Design on Learners’ Problem Solving Efficacy in Secondary Schools in Bungoma County, Kenya
• “E-Booksan Ang Kaalaman”: Development, Validation, and Utilization of Electronic Book in Academic Performance of Grade 9 Students in Social Studies
• Analyzing EFL University Students’ Academic Speaking Skills Through Self-Recorded Video Presentation
• Major Findings of The Study on Total Quality Management in Teachers’ Education Institutions (TEIs) In Assam – An Evaluative Study