The "Raipura Marathon 2026" was held in a festive atmosphere in Raipura upazila of Narsingdi under the slogan "Run for Bangladesh, Run for Safety," bringing together nearly 1,000 national and international runners.Jointly organized by the upazila administration and the Raipura Runners Community, the event kicked off Friday (October 9) morning from the road adjacent to the railway line near the Raipura Upazila Complex and stretched to Arshinagar. Member of Parliament for Narsingdi-5 (Raipura) Engineer Ashraf Uddin Bokul attended as the chief guest.Raipura Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Masud Rana shared that the competition featured four categories: a 42km Full Marathon, a 25km Race, a 10km Race, and a 1km Family Race designed for children and family members.Speaking at the event, MP Engineer Ashraf Uddin Bokul emphasized the importance of sports and physical fitness in building a healthy society and eradicating social evils such as drugs and gambling. He praised the event as one of the largest marathons in the country and expressed plans to expand its scale further in future editions, along with hosting a nationwide boat race on the Meghna River.The event also highlighted social responsibility, partnering with the Orphan Love Foundation as its charity partner. A portion of the registration fees will go toward supporting the education and healthcare of orphaned students, prompting many runners to contribute additional fees in solidarity.Sabuj Shikder, Race Director of the Raipura Runners Community, recalled that the event began as the Raipura Half Marathon in 2023 with 400 runners, growing to 700 in 2024 and exceeding 800 in 2025 before reaching nearly 1,000 participants this year.Leaders of local political and civic organizations, upazila administration officials, and event organizers attended the colorful sporting gathering.