Registrations have opened for the 2026 edition of the Dhiraagu Maldives Road Race (DMRR), with up to 4,000 runners expected to take part in one of the country’s largest annual sporting events later this year.
The race will be held at Hulhumalé Central Park on Friday, November 20, with participants able to compete across several distances and newly introduced team categories.
Dhiraagu announced the opening of registrations during a press conference held at its head office, attended by representatives from key organisations involved in delivering the event, including the Athletics Association of Maldives, Maldives Police Service and Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
This year’s DMRR will introduce four new team categories, expanding the event beyond its traditional individual races.
Corporate teams, resort teams, running clubs and colleges and universities will each have dedicated categories, with teams consisting of four runners. A champion will be selected from each of the four categories.
Individual runners can meanwhile register for the Half Marathon, 10K and 5K Open categories.
A total of MVR 296,000 in cash prizes will be distributed among winners across the different race categories.
Speaking at the launch, Dhiraagu Director of Brand and Marketing Communications Mirshan Hassan said the Road Race has been developed as an inclusive event that encourages participation from people with different levels of running experience.
“DMRR has always been a run for everyone,” Mirshan said, adding that the event seeks to bring people together while promoting health and fitness, competitive spirit and greater community engagement.
He said the introduction of team categories this year would create additional opportunities for people to participate together and become part of the wider DMRR community.
The Dhiraagu Maldives Road Race has grown into the country’s largest annual running event and attracts participants from across the Maldives as well as international runners.
Dhiraagu describes DMRR as the first international run to be held in the Maldives. The event is included in the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS) World Running Calendar, while its race route is certified by World Athletics.
Beyond competitive running, DMRR has also developed a significant charitable component over the years.
The 2026 event will once again focus on child protection, an area Dhiraagu has made a central part of its corporate social responsibility programme.
Non-governmental organisations working in the field will be given a platform through the event to raise awareness of children’s rights and generate funding for their initiatives.
Participants will be able to nominate endorsed NGOs while registering for the race. Dhiraagu will provide a combined MVR 200,000 to the five NGOs receiving the highest number of nominations to help them begin their planned projects.
Additional funding will be generated directly through runner registrations.
Dhiraagu will contribute MVR 100 for every registered participant, while all proceeds generated through the sale of special bib numbers will also be donated. These funds will be distributed equally among the endorsed partner NGOs.
The charitable component generated significant contributions during last year’s event.
DMRR 2025 raised a total of MVR 685,000 for 13 partner NGOs, with the funding directed towards initiatives aimed at creating a positive impact for children and communities across the country.
With registrations now underway, Dhiraagu is preparing for another large turnout in Hulhumalé in November.
Registration will remain open until the maximum capacity of 4,000 participants is reached.
