Athletics: Matata sets course record, Alemu wins Delhi Half Marathon
Hyderabad: Kenya’s Charles Matata lived up to a family tradition by winning the 21st edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon (VDHM) and setting a new event record. Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s 19-year-old Wudinesh Alemu claimed the women’s title in the World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, overcoming several pre-race favourites.
The 2026 edition offered a total prize purse of USD 275,732, with the men’s and women’s winners each receiving USD 27,000. Charles took home USD 42,000 in total, comprising the winner’s prize, a USD 12,000 event-record bonus and an additional USD 3,000 for finishing under 60 minutes. In the Indian Elite categories, the top three men and women received INR 3,50,000, INR 2,50,000 and INR 1,50,000, respectively.
Charles, who has run about a dozen half marathons in his career, broke the 60-minute barrier for the first time earlier this year when he won the Rimi Riga Marathon in May in 59:15. The 29-year-old Kenyan was also familiar with Delhi’s roads, having finished runner-up there in 2023. His twin brother, Alex Matata, won the 2025 edition in 59:50.
A cool early-morning start helped the runners as pacer Emmanuel Yegon led the men through the first quarter of the race in a record pace of 13:56. Drawing on his experience, Charles broke away from the rest of the field, which included Ethiopia’s two-time champion Birhanu Legese. The Kenyan passed the 10K mark in 27:41 and the 15K mark in 41:39, signalling a record-breaking performance. His 20K time of 55:53 reinforced the possibility of a new event record.
Charles finished in a personal best of 58:52, narrowly bettering the previous event record of 58:53 set by Amedework Walelegn in 2020.
It was a memorable outing for the Kenyans in Delhi as they swept the men’s podium, with Samwel Nyamai Mailu (59:24) and Stanley Mburu (59:33) finishing second and third, respectively. Birhanu Legese’s bid for a third title fell short as he finished fourth, nearly a minute behind Mburu.
An elated Charles said, “I came to Delhi well prepared, having maintained my fitness as I knew I would be racing here. I was hoping to run in the 59-minute range, but the excellent weather and my familiarity with the course from 2023 helped me deliver an even stronger performance and set a course record. I believe no human is limited, and I am ready to push myself further.”
“My comeback was not easy, as I suffered an injury in February that forced me to cancel several races and a marathon. I am grateful to have returned strongly and finished on the podium,” Samwel said during the post-event briefing.
Wudinesh upstages favourites to win women’s title
Unlike most of the field, Wudinesh Alemu Keneni had run just one half marathon before coming to Delhi. The Ethiopian, still in her teens, has primarily competed on the track and finished third in her only previous road race, clocking 1:08:08 at the Oysho Cardiff Half Marathon last year.
Kenya’s Irine Cheptai took the early lead, guiding her compatriots through the first 5K in 15:55. Alemu, who stayed within the lead group, made her move in the final quarter of the race and made her intentions clear. Kenyans Cynthia Chepkwony and Selah Busienei, along with Cheptai, trailed the Ethiopian by about 50 metres and remained a threat until the final kilometre.
However, Alemu maintained her lead and entered the home stretch confidently before clocking 1:06:35 to claim the title. Busienei (1:07:01) and Chepkwony (1:07:32) completed the women’s podium. Pre-race favourite Cheptai made a late attempt to overtake Chepkwony in the closing stages but finished fourth in 1:07:33.
Cynthia Chepkwony said she had stayed with the second group of runners for most of the race to conserve energy. “It helped me save energy and finish the race strongly,” she said afterwards.
Shailesh Kushwaha, Ankita Dhyani claim Indian Elite honours
Twenty-year-old Shailesh Kushwaha won a closely contested men’s race in 1:05:05. He broke away from a five-man lead pack shortly after the halfway mark and held off Gaurav Mathur (1:05:11) by six seconds, while Hemant Singh (1:05:37) finished third.
Ankita Dhyani, a World University Games silver medallist in the steeplechase who trains in the United States, broke clear of the Indian field early and ran among the international elite to win in 1:12:46, more than five minutes faster than her previous best. Debutant Soniya (1:14:56) and Bhagirathi (1:15:51) completed the podium, while former champion Lili Das set a personal best of 1:16:20 to finish fourth.