This is the authoritative reference for eligibility, originality, confidentiality, conduct, and AI policy for Markathon 2026.
Markathon is an individual event. There is no team creation, no shared submissions, and no group defence at any stage. This is the structural difference between Markathon and other hackathons.
One participation per candidate. Candidates employed by agencies with competing entries must disclose that relationship at registration.
Submitted work must be your own. AI tools may be used and disclosed (see AI policy). Presenting another person’s plan as your own, or reusing another candidate’s submission, ends participation.
Scenario materials are confidential during the event. Do not publish or share them while Markathon is running.
After the event, portfolio use of your own submission is permitted, with attribution and clear identification as Markathon 2026.
Scenario clarifications are handled via the candidate forum only, so every candidate has the same information.
Operational issues go to support@afactor.ai, with a response target under 4 hours during working hours (10:00–21:00 IST).
Let the organisers know via support@afactor.ai so your slot and assignments can be released.
Treat judges, organisers, and fellow candidates with professional respect. Markathon is a serious professional environment, and conduct is held to that standard throughout.
These tools are part of how modern marketing work is done. Every written round includes an AI-disclosure section (100–200 words), authored by you, describing how you used AI. Disclosure is a signal of professional honesty, not a penalty.
What is evaluated is your judgment — the choices you made and your ability to defend them live.
Every written round’s submission includes an AI-disclosure section (100–200 words) authored by the candidate.
| Round | Format | File naming | Word count | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1A | .docx or Google Doc link | MARK_[candidateID]_R1A | 1,500–3,000 | 21:30 IST · Fri 3 Jul |
| R1B | .pptx or Google Slides (optional) | MARK_[candidateID]_R1B | N/A — 5 min speaking | 18:00 IST day before slot |
| R2 | .docx or Google Doc link | MARK_[candidateID]_R2 | 1,800–3,500 (incl. preamble) | 13:00 IST · Fri 10 Jul |
| R3 | No candidate submission | — | — | Live defence · Sun 12 Jul |