Matata Breaks Delhi Half Marathon Course Record; CM Rekha Gupta Hails ‘Fit India’ Push

Charles Matata won the men’s elite title at the 21st Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday, setting a new course record of 58:52. He beat the previous mark of 58:53, set by Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn in 2020, by a single second.

Samuel Niamay Milu finished second in 59:24, with Stanley Buru third. Matata’s run was the highlight of an edition that brought together elite athletes and thousands of running enthusiasts in the capital.

More than 41,000 runners took part in the race, a World Athletics Gold Label event billed as one of Asia’s premier road races.

THE WINNERS

In the women’s elite race, Ethiopia’s Wudinesh Alemu took the title in 1:06:35. Kenya’s Selah Businei was second in 1:07:01, and her compatriot Cynthia Chelangat Chepkwony third in 1:07:32.

Among Indian elites, Shailesh Kushwaha won the men’s title in 1:05:05. Gaurav Mathur was a close second in 1:05:11 and Hemant Kumar third in 1:05:37. Ankita Dhyani won her maiden gold in the women’s Indian elite category with a provisional time of 1:12:46.

‘MORE THAN A SPORTING EVENT’

Speaking on the sidelines, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the race had brought together around 40,000 participants, including 10,000 women, from India and abroad.

“This is not merely a sporting event,” she said, adding that it had created an environment in which people moved beyond their own communities to “take steps forward together.”

She said Delhi was “steadily advancing towards the ‘Fit India’ movement,” an initiative she said the Prime Minister has consistently championed, and congratulated all participants.

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, who ran in the event, called it a classic and “the best running event” he had seen. He said running is a basic form of fitness, that the festive atmosphere encourages young people to take part, and praised title sponsor Vedanta for taking the event to different cities and promoting a culture of running.

The annual race aims to promote fitness, widen participation in running and inspire people from different backgrounds to adopt an active lifestyle.

With inputs from ANI