Kenya's Charles Matata sets course record as Wudinesh Alemu wins women's title at Delhi Half Marathon; Ankita smashes personal best

Kenya’s Charles Matata delivered a record-breaking performance to win the men’s title at the 21st edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon (VDHM) 2026. Ethiopia’s 19-year-old Wudinesh Alemu Keneni claimed the women’s crown, overcoming several pre-race favourites in the World Athletics Gold Label Road Race.

Charles Matata smashes Delhi Half Marathon record

The 29-year-old Kenyan arrived in Delhi with strong credentials, having previously finished second at the event in 2023. A seasoned competitor with around a dozen half marathons to his name, Matata broke the 60-minute barrier for the first time earlier in 2026, winning the Rimi Riga Marathon in May with a time of 59:15. He also had a family legacy to uphold. His twin brother, Alex Matata, won the 2025 Delhi Half Marathon in 59:50.

Favourable weather and an early-morning start helped the elite men maintain a blistering pace. Pacer Emmanuel Yegon led the field through the opening 5K in 13:56, putting the runners on course for a potential record. Drawing on his experience, Charles gradually separated himself from the chasing pack, which included Ethiopia’s two-time champion Birhanu Legese. The Kenyan crossed the 10K mark in 27:41 and reached 15K in 41:39, strengthening his chances of rewriting the course record.

His 20K split of 55:53 confirmed that a historic finish was within reach. Matata eventually crossed the finish line in a personal best of 58:52, narrowly improving on the previous event record of 58:53 set by Amedework Walelegn in 2020.

Kenya dominated the men’s race, sweeping all three podium positions. Samwel Nyamai Mailu finished second in 59:24, followed by Stanley Mburu in 59:33. Legese’s attempt to secure a third Delhi Half Marathon title ended in fourth place, nearly a minute behind Mburu.

An elated Charles said, “I came to Delhi well prepared, having maintained my fitness as I knew I would be racing here. 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.” Reflecting on his return to competitive running after an injury, Samwel said, “My comeback was not easy, as I suffered an injury in February that forced me to cancel several races and a marathon. I am grateful to have returned strongly and finished on the podium,”

Wudinesh Alemu stuns favourites to win women’s title

Ethiopia’s Wudinesh Alemu Keneni produced an impressive performance to win the women’s title, despite having limited experience in half-marathon racing. Before arriving in Delhi, the teenager had competed in just one half marathon. Primarily a track athlete, she finished third at the Oysho Cardiff Half Marathon last year in 1:08:08. Kenya’s Irine Cheptai took the initiative early, leading her compatriots through the first 5K in 15:55. Alemu remained in the leading group before making her decisive move during the final quarter of the race.

Cynthia Chepkwony, Selah Busienei and Cheptai stayed within striking distance, trailing the Ethiopian by approximately 50 metres as the race entered its closing stages. However, Alemu maintained her composure and extended her advantage in the final kilometre. The 19-year-old crossed the finish line in 1:06:35 to secure the title. Busienei finished second in 1:07:01, while Chepkwony claimed third in 1:07:32. Pre-race favourite Cheptai finished fourth in 1:07:33 after making a late attempt to overtake Chepkwony.

Reflecting on her victory, Alemu said, “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,” She also spoke about her ambitions and the experience she hopes to gain in the coming years. “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 dominates in men’s Indian elite race

Twenty-year-old Shailesh Kushwaha won the Indian Elite men’s title in 1:05:05 after a closely fought contest. He broke away from a five-man leading group shortly after halfway and maintained his advantage to finish six seconds ahead of Gaurav Mathur, who clocked 1:05:11. Hemant Singh completed the podium in third place with a time of 1:05:37.

Kushwaha was determined to deliver a strong performance following disappointment at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships 2026. “I wasn’t happy with how I did at the 65th National Open Athletics Championships 2026, so I was eager to give this run my absolute best. It’s tough to find the confidence to break 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 end.”

Ankita Dhyani dominates women’s Indian elite race

Ankita Dhyani, a World University Games silver medallist in the steeplechase, delivered an outstanding performance to win the Indian Elite women’s title in 1:12:46. The athlete, who trains in the United States, broke away from the Indian field early and ran alongside the international elite competitors. Her winning time was more than five minutes faster than her previous personal best.

Debutant Soniya finished second in 1:14:56, while Bhagirathi took third place in 1:15:51. Former champion Lili Das finished fourth in a personal best of 1:16:20. Dhyani expressed satisfaction with her performance while suggesting that Indian women could make further progress in half-marathon running. “I’ve been training well, and to be honest, the way my training has been going, I think I could have done a little bit 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,”