New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) The landmark 20th edition of the Delhi Half Marathon will be flagged off by the Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, and Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, as over 40,500 participants take to the streets for Asia’s premier road race. The world’s most prestigious half-marathon will be flagged off from Delhi’s iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.

With a total prize purse of USD 2,60,000, some of the world’s finest international and Indian elite runners will be in the fray. In addition, a bonus awaits those who break the event record of 58 minutes and 53 seconds (held by Ethiopia’s Amedework Walelegn), along with an additional USD 2,000 for a sub-60-minute finish.

Among Indian athletes, Rs 2 lakh will be awarded to any runner who sets a new event record, which stands at 1 hour and 30 seconds (held by Avinash Sable).

In a proud first, all three Defence Forces will participate in the Half Marathon category this year, with senior officers including Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh (Air Force), Lt Gen Rahul R Singh (Army), and Vice Admiral LS Pathania (Navy) taking part.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Anil Chauhan, will also grace the event. Additionally, Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Shri Omar Abdullah will run the Half Marathon alongside his sons, who will participate in the 10K category.

Adding to the excitement, Olympic legend Carl Lewis, the International Event Ambassador, will be present to cheer on the participants as they take to the streets of the capital, inspiring them to give their best at this landmark 20th edition.

He will be joined by Olympic bronze medallist Sarabjot Singh, alongside Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Tejasvin Shankar.

Leading the Indian elite line-up are Asian Champion and multiple national record holder Gulveer Singh, alongside Abhishek Pal and Kiran Matre, who will headline the home contingent’s men’s line-up. Lili Das will also return to defend her crown as the reigning champion, facing stiff competition from the likes of Sanjivani Jadhav and Ankita Dhyani.

The international elite field at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2025 brings together an impressive mix of global champions. Kenya’s Benard Biwott, winner of the 2025 Paris Marathon, leads the men’s line-up alongside Olympic 5000m silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi, who makes his half-marathon debut.

In the women’s race, defending champion Alemaddis Eyayu returns in pursuit of back-to-back titles, joined by Kenya’s Lilian Rengeruk, a world cross-country medallist and Olympic finalist, setting up another world-class contest in the capital.

Beyond the elite competition, the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon continues to embody the spirit of togetherness and community participation. As always, the event will see runners across multiple categories: The Half Marathon, Open 10K, Great Delhi Run, Senior Citizens Run, and the Champions with Disability (with Buddy) Run.

Race Day will get underway with the Half Marathon (21.097 km) and the Police Cup at 5:00 a.m. from the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Elite Athlete Men and Women Half Marathon will follow at 6:50 a.m., before the Champions with Disability and Senior Citizens’ Run (2.5 km) sets off at 7:00 a.m. The Open 10K Run will begin at 7:30 a.m. from Sansad Marg, leading into the final event of the morning, the Great Delhi Run (4.5 km), which starts at 9:00 a.m.

Notably, close to 10,000 women will participate this year, a remarkable rise from the inaugural edition that featured around 85 women, underlining how the event has inspired inclusion and collective progress over two decades.

Extending its continued support to this iconic race, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will offer free metro travel on Race Day for all registered runners. Metro services will commence at 3:15 a.m. on the Red (Line 1), Yellow (Line 2), Blue (Line 3/4), and Violet (Line 6) corridors on Sunday, ensuring smooth travel and easy access for participants across the city.

The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon will be Live telecast on Sony Sports 1 & Sony Sports 1 HD on October 12 from 6:15 a.m. onwards.

–IANS

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