Delhi ready for half marathon, 2009 champion Merga pulls out
November 20th, 2010 - 9:17 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) An estimated 30,000 Delhiites are set to run in the company of world-class athletes and India’s most sought after celebrities in the third edition of the $210,000 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon Sunday.
The competitive part of the 21-km half marathon involves 8,680 Indian and foreign athletes, the 6-km Great Delhi Run will bring 20,000 plus fun-loving residents out on the streets, the 2.5-km wheelchair race will see 200 differently-abled and the 4-km run will get over a thousand senior citizens to brave the early morning chill.
Thirty elite runners from overseas — including 12 Kenyans and eight Ethiopians — will hit the road. Runners from six other nations will also be there.
Ethiopian Deriba Merga, two-time defending champion, had to pull out of the race at the last moment and that has left the field open for the Kenyan athletes in the $25,000 men’s half marathon.
And the pick amongst the Kenyans will be Geoffrey Mutai, the long-distance runner’s forte being cross-country running.
“The course is good, I should be able to run close to 59 minutes,” Mutai said.
Mutai’s countryman Joel Kimurer won the Prague Half Marathon in March and will be looking to do it again here.
In the women’s section, 2009 champion Keitany of Kenya is not competing this time and in her absence the favourite will be the 2008 winner Aselefech Mercia of Ethiopia.
Kenya have enough fire power here, too, to spoil the Ethiopian party.
Sharon Jemutai, fresh from her maiden major marathon victory in Hamburg, will be another strong contender to take home the winner’s purse of $25,000 and so will be another Kenyan Lydia Cherome.
Sveitlana Kouhan of Belarus and Ukraine’s Olena Burkovska are expected to spring a surprise in the field dominated by the Africans.
The celebrity list comprise industrialists, bollywood actors and a handful of sportspersons.
The likes of Anil Ambani, Dhanraj Pillay, Arshad Warsi, Gul Panag and Rahul Bose will be part of the race to spread the messsage of importance of ‘being healthy.’
Bipasha Basu has replaced Shahrukh Khan as the face of the event.
- Bangalore's 10k race to see elite athletes - May 11, 2012
- Marathon motivates people to be active: Delhi Lt. Governor - Nov 21, 2010
- Muthai, Aselefech win Delhi Half Marathon (Lead) - Nov 21, 2010
- Kenyan ace hopes to set record at TCS World 10K Bangalore - May 24, 2012
- Big star cast for Airtel Delhi Half Marathon - Nov 26, 2011
- NYC marathon 2010 winners' list is topped by Gebre Gebremariam - Nov 08, 2010
- 30,000 expected to run in Delhi half-marathon - Nov 18, 2010
- World marathon record will soon fall: Kenyan runners - Feb 08, 2012
- Kipsang, Keitany win London marathon - Apr 22, 2012
- Kenyan Sammy Kirop eyes new record in Delhi half marathon - Nov 25, 2011
- Ethiopians rule at Mumbai marathon (Second Lead) - Jan 16, 2011
- Chandigarh marathon sees 113-year-old runner - Mar 13, 2011
- Ethiopians start favourite in 10K race - May 26, 2012
- Mutai, Kabuu squeeze into Kenya's Olympic marathon squad - May 18, 2012
- Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam, Edna Kiplagat From Kenya Win NYC Marathon 2010 - Nov 08, 2010
Tags: abled, ambani, arshad warsi, elite runners, fire power, gul panag, half marathon, kenyan athletes, kenyans, long distance runner, marathon victory, mercia, merga, olena, pillay, road runners, senior citizens, time defending champion, wheelchair race, world class athletes