The annual Navy Marathon organized in coordination with the Indian Navy triggered significant disruptions across South Mumbai on Sunday, November 23, 2025, affecting public transport and road traffic throughout the morning hours.
Major Transport Overhaul
More than 30 BEST bus routes faced either cancellation, curtailment, or diversion as authorities implemented extensive restrictions to secure the marathon route and manage crowd movement. The large-scale rerouting impacted thousands of daily commuters who rely on Mumbai's public transport system.
A BEST official stated, "The Navy Marathon necessitated large-scale rerouting across South Mumbai, and we understand this impacts thousands of our daily passengers. Our foremost priority is to ensure the safety of participants and the smooth conduct of the event while maintaining essential connectivity."
Specific Route Changes
According to the operational plan released by BEST, four bus routes—132, 108, 123, and 155—were fully suspended from 5 am onwards. These routes typically serve high-demand stretches including Bhulabhai Desai Road and Peddar Road, which experienced complete road closures along the race corridor.
Four additional routes—77, 154, and 121 among them—faced curtailments, with buses short-terminating at points such as Haji Ali, Churchgate, and ST Office instead of completing their full journeys. Officials explained these curtailments were necessary as several mid-route junctions were either blocked or converted into "no cross" zones for runners.
Road Closures and Diversions
Nine major roads were either partially or fully closed from 5 am or 6 am, including Bhulabhai Desai Road, Peddar Road, NSCI, M G Road, Maharshi Karve Road/Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil Road, two stretches of M K Road, Abdul Gaffar Road, and Veer Nariman Road. The traffic police confirmed these closures would remain effective until the marathon concluded and clearance operations were completed.
The largest operational impact came from rerouting, with over 25 bus routes diverted through alternative corridors. Affected routes included 78, 63, 28, 86, 9, 14, 21, 51, 138, C10, 25, 45, 6, 83, 85, 87, 91, and others. These buses were redirected via the Coastal Road, Mukesh Chowk, Mahapalika Road, Shahid Bhagat Singh Road, and Mohammad Ali Road to bypass marathon barricades.
Commuters Advised to Plan Ahead
Depots including Backbay, Colaba, Worli, and CND coordinated operations and issued public advisories warning commuters of expected delays. Authorities urged passengers to use alternative routes or plan travel after services normalized later in the day.
The Navy Marathon, which draws thousands of participants across categories including full marathon, half-marathon, and 10K run, traditionally covers major South Mumbai corridors. This year's edition followed a similar southbound loop, prompting the widespread movement restrictions across key arterial roads that Mumbai commuters experienced on Sunday morning.
