New Delhi: The lead up to the Vedanta Delhi half marathon has been all about whether the elite men’s course record of 58min, 53secs can be broken after five years. The runners get a good setting to do that. The onset of early winter and a low pollution level will allow them to go all out on a flat course known to produce fast timings.
Though the men’s field is not as star-studded as last year’s, won by twice Olympic medallist Joshua Cheptegei, Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese and Kenya’s Paris marathon winner Benard Biwott (PB 59:44) say they are up for the challenge. Another Kenyan Alex Matata is coming off a good season, having won four half marathons with a personal best of 59:20 in February.
The existing course record belongs to Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn, who set the mark in 2020.
Birhanu knows the course very well having competed multiple times with wins in 2015 and 2017. Birhanu’s personal best is 58:59, which came in 2023. His best in Delhi came in 2015 (59:20). He says the weather looks good to have a crack at the course record and that he will push through at the right moment.
Gulveer injured
It would also have been a good opportunity for Gulveer Singh, who has had an outstanding season in which he shattered the 5,000m and 10,000m national records. He could have had a crack at the Indian half marathon record that stands in the name of Asian Games steeplechase champion Avinash Sable, who set the mark in 2020 (1:00:30). However, it has been learnt that Gulveer withdrew on Saturday because of “severe lower back pain”.
Gulveer felt pain during the warm-up session on Thursday and then went for scans, according to his trainer and Army coach Younis Khan. “He was really looking forward to the race and to dip under an hour. He was feeling good but unfortunately this happened and he withdrew in the morning (Saturday),” Younis told HT.
The winner of the 5k and 10k at the Asian Championships in Korea has had a long season since February. He competed at the World Championships in Tokyo last month. It will be important for him to recover well for the busy season next year that has the Asian Games in Japan. For now, he has been advised seven days of complete rest and physiotherapy, his coach said. In his absence, Abhishek Pal will be the top Indian in the men’s section.
The elite international women’s race will be a tough affair as defending champion Alemaddis Eyayu of Ethiopia will be challenged by two Kenyans, Lilian Rengeruk and Loibach Nawowuna. The women’s course record is in the name of Yalemzerf Yehualaw (1:04:46). Alemaddis clocked one hour, eight minutes, 17 seconds last year. “Races are getting closer and closer. You have to be at your best to get over the finish line,” said Lilian.
