Bhubaneswar: In a display of endurance and tactical brilliance, Kenyan runners Alex Nzioka Matata and Lilian Kasait Rengeruk captured the men’s and women’s elite titles respectively at the 20th Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday.
Matata, runner-up last year, broke clear from the pack midway and ran a near-flawless solo race to cross the line in 59:50.
Meanwhile, Rengeruk, after pacing with a lead pack for much of the race, unleashed a final surge to clinch victory in 1:07:20, just one second ahead of Ethiopia’s Melal Biratu.
India’s Top Finishers
While Kenyan athletes claimed the top honours, Indian runners put up strong performances in their elite categories:
Abhishek Pal covered the men’s elite distance in 1:04:17, securing his third Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon men’s elite title.
In the women’s Indian elite field, Seema impressed on debut with 1:11:23, taking top Indian honors.
Pal said he opted for an aggressive strategy right from the start, “running alone” after the midway point to keep the pace high.
Seema reflected that though she fell a little short of the course record, she was satisfied with her time given her preparation and sees this as a stepping stone forward.
Race Context & Numbers
This edition marked just the second time in Delhi Half Marathon history that Kenyan athletes won both men’s and women’s titles.
The race hosted an enormous turnout of over 40,500 runners, spanning elite categories, community runs, senior citizen runs, and disability-inclusive events.
The event is classified as a World Athletics Gold Label road race, carrying a prize pool of USD 260,000.
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