Elish McColgan is fourth in the women’s race in India on Sunday morning in 69:55.
Joshua Cheptegei won the men’s race while Allemadis Eyayu pulled off a surprise win ahead of Cynthia Limo in the women’s race at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday (October 20).
Alex Matata, 27, led most of the men’s race with Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkoriri, running his first half marathon at international level. Matata was unbeaten in all three races he competed in in Europe earlier this year, two of which went under 60 minutes.
Matata held on to the lead until the runners turned towards the finish at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium. It was there that Ugandan Cheptegei, a few seconds behind the Kenyan, came from behind to overtake Matata to win in 59:46.
Matata (59:53) and Kipkorir (59:59) rounded out the podium.
Former world champion Muktar Edris of Ethiopia, another pre-race favourite, finished fifth (60:52) with Tanzania’s Alphonse Simbu fourth (60:40).
“This victory in Delhi was special for me because this is my first victory in a half marathon. India has been important to my career and this country means a lot to me now. I felt good throughout the race despite the slow start.
“My first goal was to catch Nicolas (Kipkorir) and then Alex (Matata) in the last few kilometers of the race. I am delighted with my performance and I hope to continue in the same way in future races.”
Alemaddis Eyayu (Procam International)
In the women’s race, Eyayu extended the winning streak of Ethiopians in Delhi. Kenya’s Cynthia Limo, the pre-race favourite, led the field from the start, while Eilish McColgan followed in strong pursuit.
McColgan had the fastest sub-66 minute time among the elite women who started today. However, two Ethiopians, Eyayu and Tirouye Mesfin, stayed with Limo throughout the race.
Limo, who won the women’s title here in 2015, had returned to Delhi after nine years. After her victory in the Indian capital, the Kenyan runner secured a silver medal at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.
Eyayu and Limo covered 10km together and remained sole leaders in the women’s race. However, the Ethiopian took the lead in the second part of the race, leaving Limo 10-15 seconds behind.
That proved to be the deciding factor in the end as Eyayu crossed the finish line in 68:17 to win, with Lemon 10 seconds behind.
Mesfin clocked 69:42 for third and McColgan clocked 69:55 for fourth place.
“I had a good race, tried to keep my pace and aimed for a good finish. I am happy to have achieved this,” Eyayu said.
Limo said he was delighted to join the Delhi Chair after nine years. “To secure second place is incredible and fills me with pride. The atmosphere was electric, people were walking around the streets cheering us on. It’s exciting to see the city come together. This experience was truly unique. the audience support, their enthusiasm and the overall energy of the event has made this return to Delhi unforgettable,” he said.
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