New Delhi, October 17 (H.S.): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will inaugurate the 21st edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday, October 18. More than 41,000 runners are expected to participate in the World Athletics Gold Label road race, one of Asia’s leading road-running events. The race will begin and conclude at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju will also attend the event. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan will be among the dignitaries present.

**Senior Armed Forces Officers to Participate**

Further strengthening the event’s association with the country’s security forces, several senior officers from the armed forces and paramilitary organisations will take part in this year’s half marathon. Participants will include Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, National Cadet Corps Director General Virendra Vats and Border Security Force Director General Praveen Kumar. Vice Chief of the Air Staff Air Marshal Tejpal Singh will participate in the Open 10K race.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will also take part in the half marathon. Two-time Olympic champion and international event ambassador Shaunae Miller-Uibo will be present to encourage the runners.

**Competitive Fields Expected in Men’s and Women’s Categories**

In the international men’s elite field, Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese will be among the leading contenders. He is expected to face a strong challenge from Kenya’s Samwel Masai and Charles Mbatha Matata.

In the women’s category, Kenya’s Irene Cheptai will be one of the main attractions. She won the Delhi Half Marathon title in 2022. Fellow Kenyan Cynthia Limo and Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter will also compete for the title.

In the Indian men’s elite category, Kiran Matre, who finished second last year, will lead the challenge alongside Dr Kartik Karkera, Panchanan Bera and Mukesh Kumar. In the women’s category, former champions Lilly Das and Kavita Yadav will be among the runners to watch, along with Neeta Rani and Ankita Dhyani, who has competed in the steeplechase at the World Championships.

**Attractive Prize Money on Offer**

The total prize purse for this year’s event has been set at USD 275,732. The winners of the men’s and women’s races will each receive USD 27,000. An additional bonus of USD 12,000 will be awarded to any runner who breaks the course record.

In the Indian elite men’s and women’s categories, the top three finishers will receive Rs 3.5 lakh, Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh, respectively. An additional incentive of Rs 1 lakh has also been announced for any athlete who breaks the Indian elite record.

**First Race to Begin at 5:18 a.m.**

The event will commence at 5:18 a.m. with the elite men’s half marathon, followed by the elite women’s race at 5:20 a.m. The remaining events are scheduled as follows:

* 5:30 a.m. — Half Marathon and Police Cup

* 6:30 a.m. — Champions with Disability Run and Senior Citizens’ Run

* 7:35 a.m. — Open 10K

* 9:00 a.m. — Corporate Run

* 9:05 a.m. — Great Delhi Run

According to the organisers, more than 80 athletes will compete in the elite half marathon. The mass-participation half marathon and Police Cup are expected to attract more than 13,400 participants. Over 10,000 runners are anticipated in the Open 10K, while the Corporate Run and Great Delhi Run are expected to draw a combined total of more than 13,300 participants.

In addition to the half marathon and Open 10K, the event will feature the Great Delhi Run, Corporate Run, Senior Citizens’ Run and the Champions with Disability Run, which allows participants with disabilities to run alongside a companion.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar