Vishwas Sharan Srivastav of C-Impact Agra Half Marathon said at half a dozen registration centers in the city, 20,000 people had applied to participate in the big event by Thursday evening. "The response is exciting and unprecedented," he said.

Thousands of students from more than a dozen schools are joining the half marathon. 200 Air Force officers led by wing commander Dheeraj will also run, along with doctors, policemen, politicians, and concerned citizens. Groups of women too will run.

 Regional sports officer Ajay Kumar Sethi said teams from Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Gorakhpur will also join the run. District authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the safe conduct of the half marathon, which according to them will hype the Taj Mahotsav beginning February 18. The organizers have deputed senior sportspersons and administrative managers to oversee the arrangements and provide support where needed. 

 Formula car racer Harvijay Singh Bahia said efforts will be made to make this half marathon an annual event.

A half marathon is a road running event of 21,097.5 meters, or 13 7/64 miles, about 13.1 miles. It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads.

Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a marathon requires.