Capital’s most popular race picking up pace
DELHI HALF MARATHON Over the years, timings have improved and winners here have clocked better efforts than at IAAF world meet twice in the past decade
Having won eight consecutive full marathons, not many would have bet against Eliud Kipchoge winning last month’s Berlin marathon. And the Kenyan Olympic champion did what he does best - raising his lofty standards a few notches more, clocking an astonishing 2 hours, 1 minute, 39 seconds.
To smash the marathon world record by more than a minute is staggering, so is extending his winning streak to nine. The 33-year-old also lend his aura to the Delhi Half Marathon two years ago.
Clocking 59 minutes, 44 seconds, Kipchoge eased to win one of only three IAAF Gold Label races in India, the others being the Mumbai Marathon and the Bengaluru 10K run.
Kipchoge was no exception. Delhi has seen distance stalwarts grace the event in recent years. From half marathon world record holder Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea to three-time world championship winner, Geoffrey Kipsang of Kenya, top names of the world now take part in the race. The 2017 edition saw Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana win the women’s race. The Rio Olympics 10,000m champion had arrived in Delhi after adding the 2017 World Championships title to her name in London.
“The quality of runners has gone up because the race’s reputation has increased in the last few years. Today, top runners take this race seriously. We’ve a greater pool of runners from whom we can choose,” Hugh Jones, race director of the Delhi Half Marathon, says.
The impact of having a competitive field is evident from the improved timings. From 2009 to 2012, the average winning time was 59:59 minutes. It has dipped to 59:26 from 2013 to 2017.
Also, from 2009 to 2012, the average difference in the finishing time between the winner and No 3 runner was 32 seconds. From 2013 to 2017, it has narrowed to 14 seconds, underlining the close competition.
OBSTACLES
While quality of runners and the prize money (USD 27000 each for the men’s and women’s winners) have gone up, there is growing concern that pollution can hamper the race pace.
“There are a lot of unknowns this year.
In the early years we held the race in October, and once we held it in September. At that time, it was very hot and people suffered. The timing was slow. Then we shifted the race to November, which temperaturewise offered us far better conditions but it was high smog time. It became an issue, especially last year,” Jones recalled.
“So, there was a lot of momentum behind shifting it back to October. We are trading better quality for higher temperature. The average daily low is 18 degrees Celsius now while the ideal temperature for running is 8-15. So, I think the runners will have to push themselves hard to break the course record.”
The men’s course record is 59:06 (Ethiopia’s Guye Adola – 2014). For comparison, Tadese’s world record of 58:23 was set at the EDP Lisbon Half Marathon in 2010.
The women’s course record is 66:54, set by Kenya’s Mary Keitany in 2009. The world is 64:51, set by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei at the 2017 Valencia Half Marathon. Jepkosgei is running in Delhi this time.