Yomog Meje
World record holders Zersenay Tadese and Florence Kiplagat head the elite entry list for the 2015 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday 29 November.
Zersanay Tadese, from Eritrea, has won the world half marathon title four times and set the existing world record of 58:23 at the 2010 Lisbon Half Marathon.
Now 33, Tadese added to his list of accolades over the distance earlier this year when he won the half marathon gold medal at the All African Games.
Kenya’s Florence Kiplagat, 28, set her world record of 1:05:09 at the Barcelona Half Marathon in February this year and is also a former world champion on the roads, having won the gold medal at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.
However, the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has assembled deep and impressive fields as the race continues to build on its reputation as one of most prestigious half marathons in the world.
No less than 11 men have run under the elite benchmark of one hour.
Next fastest after Tadese in the men’s race will be 2013 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon winner Atsedu Tsegay, the Ethiopian record holder and fifth fastest man ever with a career best of 58:47.
Another famous name in the field is Tsegay’s compatriot Tsegaye Kebede, a winner of the Chicago, London and Paris marathons.
The fastest man in the field on current form, based on 2015 races, is Kenya’s Alex Korio. Korio clocked a personal best 59:28 to finish second at the high quality Copenhagen race in September.
Returning to Delhi is Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew, who ran a personal best of 59:11 to finish third in 2014.
Kiplagat will be joined on the women’s start line by five other women who have run under 1:08:00 but in the wake of her Chicago Marathon win last month the Kenyan will start as the overwhelming favourite to take the title in the Indian capital for the third successive year.
Ethiopia’s 2012 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon women’s winner Wude Ayalew has also returned for this year’s race.
Full list of the elite entries
