Ksh33.7 million prize purse up for grabs at Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon scheduled for Sunday 20 October is set to witness a world-class international roster headlined by two-time Olympic gold medalist Joshua Cheptegei. 

He will be joined by two-time 5000m World Champion Muktar Edris, which increases expectations for a course record in the men's race. 

The women's field includes the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion in the 10,000m, Eilish McColgan.  

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Fresh from his victory in the 10,000m at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Uganda’s Cheptegei who is poised to make his debut in the race and has been a three-time World Champion in the 10,000m and boasts a personal best (PB) of 59:21 in the half marathon.

His stellar career also includes a 5,000m gold and 10,000m silver at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“I’m incredibly excited to debut at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. This race is known for its energetic atmosphere, fast course, and unmatched hospitality.

I can’t wait to soak it all in and push myself to deliver a memorable performance. With such a competitive line-up, it will be an exciting challenge, and I’m aiming for nothing less than the top spot," Cheptegei told organisers. 

The Ugandan will face formidable opposition from Ethiopia’s Edris, who will be returning to the race since 2022.

A star of the sport at junior level, he finished fourth in his Delhi Half Marathon debut in 2020 with an impressive run of 59:04. He is the quicker of the leading duo, with a PB of 58.40. 

Two more entrants have dipped under an hour, Ethiopia’s Dinkalem Ayele (59:30) and Kenya's Alex Matata (59:37) who are expected to give Cheptegei and Edris a run for their money. 

Meanwhile, Eilish headlines the women’s race. She won gold in the 10,000m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, setting a new Games record, and settled for silver in the 5000m. Last year, she won the Berlin half-marathon with a personal best 65:43.

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Several top athletes, including Kenya’s Cynthia Limo (66:04), Ethiopia’s Yalemget Yaregal (66:27) and Tiruye Mesfin (66:31), and Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri (66:37), are joining McColgan in the women's race. 

With five women having clocked times under 67 minutes, the competition promises to be thrilling and fast-paced.

Ethiopians Amdework Walelegn (58:53) and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (64:46) have held the Course Records since 2020.

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, with a prize pool of USD 260,000 (Ksh33.7 million) will begin at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where elite athletes will be joined by India’s top runners and passionate amateurs.