Delhi Half Marathon 2026: Legese, Cheptai headline elite field

The 21st Delhi Half Marathon on Oct 18, 2026, will feature a star-studded elite field. Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese and Kenya’s Irine Cheptai lead the men's and women's lineups, competing for a total prize purse of USD 275,732.

Procam International, the promoters of the Delhi Half Marathon, on Tuesday, announced a star-studded international elite field for the 21st edition of the World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Sunday, October 18, 2026. In the men’s field, Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese will headline the elite line-up with a personal best of 58:59, making him the fastest athlete among those announced for this year’s Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. In the women’s field, Kenya’s Irine Cheptai will lead the charge with a personal best of 64:53, as per a press release.

The 21st edition will bring together some of the world’s finest distance runners, who will compete for a total prize purse of USD 275,732, with the winner in each category set to receive USD 27,000. Prize money will be awarded through to the 10th-place finisher in both the men’s and women’s categories, alongside separate incentives for the top Indian finishers. Apart from this, an event-record bonus of 12,000 US Dollars is also in the offing for the elite athlete who bettered the previous mark in their category.

Competitive Men's Field

Birhanu Legese will be joined by a formidable field of seven men with sub-60-minute personal bests, setting the stage for one of the most competitive men’s races in the event’s history. Among those looking to win the Challenge, Legese is Kenya’s Charles Matata, the 2023 Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon runner-up, who also finished second at the Istanbul Half Marathon earlier this year. Two other leading Ethiopians, Deriba Tesfaye and Melaku Belachew, will add further strength to the field. Both arrive in Delhi in impressive form, with Deriba finishing second at the Rotterdam Marathon and Melaku claiming victory at the Hong Kong Marathon 2026.

While travelling to Delhi, Birhanu Legese said, “I have narrowly missed the podium in last year’s race and am eager to make amends this time," Legese revealed while talking about his return to the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. It has always been a pleasure running at the Indian capital. I am doing well and looking to get in great shape before race day this year, he added further.

Tough task ahead for Irine

In the Women’s field, VDHM 2022 winner, Kenya’s Irine Cheptai, a Platinum Level athlete with a personal best of 64:53, will have a tough challenge on her hands in Delhi this year. The women’s field will also feature last year’s silver medallist Ethiopia’s Melal Siyoum Biratu and Kenya’s Cynthia Limo, the 2024 runner-up. A Kenyan-born athlete competing under the Israeli flag, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter will be another dark horse to watch. Salpeter won a bronze medal at the 2022 World Athletics Half Marathon Championships and has also won multiple medals for Israel at the European Championships.

Speaking about her chances this year, Irine said: “I know there are several young runners who will be competing at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. But I have the experience of running in Delhi, and I am confident of challenging for the podium and fighting for my second title here.”

Irine Cheptai arrives in Delhi in impressive form, having won the Burj2Burj Half Marathon in Dubai in February before finishing sixth at the Boston Marathon. Her recent performances underline her credentials as a strong contender for the title in Delhi.

Procam International on a Milestone Edition

Vivek Singh, the Joint Managing Director of Procam International said, “As we step into the third decade of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, we have witnessed remarkable milestones from record participation and new event records to some of the world’s finest elite athletes making their mark on the Delhi course. Each edition has raised the bar, and this year promises to be no different.

Further adding, “The elite field assembled for the 21st edition is a testament to the stature of the event on the global running calendar. With a highly competitive line-up, we expect every athlete to push their limits, challenge existing benchmarks and inspire the global running community with performances of the highest order.”

This year’s Half Marathon will feature 36 of the World’s top athletes, who will vie for the men’s and women’s titles, comprising 18 men and 18 women athletes. (ANI)

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