Charles Matata Breaks Course Record To Win Delhi Half Marathon

Kenya's Charles Matata shattered the course record to win the men's elite race at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, while Ethiopia's Wudinesh Alemu claimed the women's title as nearly 40,000 people turned out on the streets of the national capital on Sunday morning. Matata clocked 58 minutes and 52 seconds to complete the 21.097km distance at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, bettering the previous course record of 58:53 set by Ethiopia's Amedework Walelegn in 2020 by one second. It was also Matata's personal best in the half marathon, surpassing his previous best of 59:15 recorded in May this year.

"I came to Delhi well prepared, having maintained my fitness," an elated Matata said.

"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."

The 29-year-old's achievement was particularly noteworthy given the high humidity of around 90 per cent and temperatures of about 21 degrees Celsius, conditions that were far from ideal for long-distance running.

Matata had finished second in the 2023 edition with a time of 1:00:05.

He will receive an additional USD 12,000 (Rs 11,39,586) for breaking the course record, in addition to the winner's prize of USD 27,000 (Rs 25,64,068).

Matata's twin brother, Alex, won the 2025 edition with a time of 59:50.

Earlier this year, Charles won the Riga Half Marathon in Latvia with a time of 59:15. Prior to that, he finished second at the Istanbul Half Marathon after being narrowly beaten by Alex in a photo finish, with both runners credited with a time of 60:01. He also won the Beijing Half Marathon last year.

Kenyans swept the top three positions in the men's elite race, with Samwel Nyamai Mailu (59:24) and Stanley Waithaka Mburu (59:33) finishing second and third respectively.

In the women's elite race, Alemu clocked 1:06:35 to win the title. Kenyans Selah Businei (1:07:01) and Cynthia Chelangat Chepkwony (1:07:32) finished second and third respectively.

"I am very happy with my performance. I ran a strong race from the start and maintained my pace throughout. This is only my second international half marathon, and I have improved my personal best by almost two minutes, which makes me very happy," Alemu said.

"I have been running for only two years, so I am still learning and developing as an athlete. I hope to continue improving, gain more experience and build a strong career in distance running."

Shailesh Kushwaha won the men's Indian elite race with a time of 1:05:05, while Gaurav Mathur (1:05:11) and Hemant Kumar (1:05:37) finished second and third respectively.

"I wasn't happy with how I performed at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships 2026, so I was eager to give this race my absolute best. It's tough to find the confidence to break away early and lead for most of the race, but today I was able to do it. I definitely felt the pressure because Gaurav was right behind me all the way to the finish," said Kushwaha.

Among the Indian elite women, Ankita Dhyani finished first with a time of 1:12:46, while Soniya (1:14:56) and Bhagirathi (1:15:51) placed second and third respectively.

"I've been training well, and to be honest, the way my training has been going, I think I could have done a little better. If Indian women focus more on the half marathon, we'll soon see the national record broken.

"I'm very happy that all three of us on the podium are from Uttarakhand. The state supports us a lot, and we are happy with the achievement," said Dhyani.

The 2026 edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label race, offered a total prize purse of USD 275,732, with the men's and women's winners each receiving USD 27,000. The race is also certified by the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races (AIMS).

The top three finishers in the Indian elite men's and women's categories will receive Rs 3,50,000, Rs 2,50,000 and Rs 1,50,000 respectively.

Nearly 40,000 Delhiites Turn Up

Just days after the streets of central Delhi witnessed protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, a large number of people turned up for the half marathon, one of the capital's most iconic sporting events.

On Friday, Procam International, the organisers of the Delhi Half Marathon, announced that runners would not pass through Rail Bhawan, Sansad Marg and Patel Chowk, unveiling a revised route amid the ongoing protests.

The demonstrations had led to heavy police barricading around the three landmarks, which had been part of the traditional route in previous editions.

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani and World Athletics Vice-President Adille Sumariwalla were also present on the occasion. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta flagged off the Great Delhi Run.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah participated in the half marathon.

Two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas is the international event ambassador for the race.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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