New Delhi, Oct 12 (NationPress) Acclaimed Kenyan athletes Alex Nzioka Matata and Lilian Kasait Rengeruk celebrated significant victories in the 20th edition of the Delhi Half Marathon, a prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Road Race held on Sunday.

This marks only the second occasion in the event's history where Kenyan runners secured both the men's and women's titles in the same year, with Francis Kibiwott and Lineth Chepkurui being the first to do so in 2006.

Matata, who finished second last year to Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, surged ahead to run a solitary race. Having previously won the RAK half-marathon this year with a personal best of 59:20, he already had seven records under 60 minutes, including a 59:53 timing from Delhi in 2024.

Unfortunately, he had no challengers for the course record of 58:53, as the other competitors were more than 60 meters behind him during the latter half of the race. Matata, alongside fellow Kenyan Reuben Rono, completed the first 10K in 28:43, with six other runners closely trailing. He ran a rapid second half, breaking free from the pack to seize the men’s title in 59:50, marking his fifth half-marathon victory of the year.

Ethiopia's Bayelign Teshager finished in second place (60:22), while Kenyan James Kipkogei came in third (60:25). Pre-race favorite Birhanu Legese took fourth place (60:54).

Post-race, Matata expressed, “I’m incredibly excited about this win. Last year I finished second, so my aim was to improve. Knowing the course was an advantage, and the weather was favorable. At the 10K mark, I realized I had a strong chance of victory. I focused solely on winning, without the pressure that affected me last year.”

The women's race unfolded with different strategies; Rengeruk maintained a pace with a group of six runners, including Ethiopians Mulat Tekle and Melal Biratu, for most of the race. The trio reached the 10K mark in 32:10, slightly ahead of the pack, but Kenya's 2023 World Half Marathon bronze medalist Catherine Amangole briefly joined them by increasing her pace.

They passed the 15K mark together at 48:11, but Amangole couldn't maintain her speed and fell behind as they neared the finish line at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.

The Indian Elite race showcased both seasoned and emerging talent, with Abhishek Pal and Seema taking home the top prizes of Rs 4,00,000 each.

Pal triumphed in the men’s race with a time of 1:04:17, while Seema dominated the women’s event with 1:11:23, making a strong impression on her debut at one of the world’s most esteemed half marathons.

After his victory, Abhishek Pal said, “I’m feeling great. The road was perfect, completely flat and straight. My brother, now my coach, advised me on my race strategy. Previously, I used to run from behind, but today I took the lead from the start and ran solo. We’ll focus on improving my time moving forward.”

Seema, reflecting on her performance, stated, “I feel good, though I’m slightly disappointed as I missed the record. Considering my training, I delivered a solid time. With a couple of months of proper training, I believe I can achieve even better results next time.”

Throughout the race, Abhishek Pal and Kiran Matre (1:04:57) were closely matched, hitting the 10K split at 33:16 and ramping up their pace to finish 15km at 43:58, both wary of each other. It was in the final stretch that the experienced Pal pulled away to secure a clear victory.

Notably, Pal narrowly missed surpassing his personal best of 1:04:07 from the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon in October 2023. Mohd Aleem (1:05:20) and Manoj Kumar (1:05:25) closely pursued Karthik Karkera for most of the race, but the 28-year-old broke away in the final kilometer to clinch the bronze.

Seema steadily increased her lead as the race progressed, finishing well ahead of the competition. The contest for the other podium spots was intense, with Ujala taking second place in 1:15:41, just ahead of Sanjivani Jadhav, who crossed the line at 1:15:52. Meanwhile, defending champion Lili Das clocked 1:16:27 to secure fourth.