The Delhi Half Marathon 2024, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, is set to witness a world-class international roster headlined by two-time Olympic gold medallist Joshua Cheptegei, and 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. The event will take place in the national capital on October 20.
Fresh from his victory in the 10,000m at the Paris Olympics, Uganda’s Cheptegei is poised to make his debut in the Delhi Half Marathon and has been a three-time World Champion in the 10,000m and boasts a personal best 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.
Ahead of the race, Cheptegei expressed, “I’m incredibly excited to debut at the 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 will face formidable opposition from Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris, who will be returning to the Delhi Half Marathon after 2022. A star of the sport at the junior level, Edris finished fourth on debut in the Delhi Half Marathon in 2020 with an impressive run of 59:04. Before that, he won two world championship titles in the 5,000m during 2017 and 2019.
McColgan to lead women’s line-up
Eilish McColgan 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. McColgan holds the European record for the 10 km road race and British records for multiple distances. She has also represented Great Britain in four Olympic Games (2012-2024) and Scotland in three Commonwealth Games (2014-2022).
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 in the Delhi Half Marathon since 2020.
The Delhi Half Marathon, with a prize pool of USD 260,000, will begin at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, where elite athletes will be joined by India’s top runners and passionate amateurs.