Debutant Shailesh Kushwaha outpaced a tight field to claim the Indian Elite Men title at the Delhi Half Marathon 2026 on 18 October, while Ankita Dhyani — a World University Games steeplechase silver medallist — stormed to her maiden Indian Elite Women gold in a performance that slashed more than five minutes off her personal best. Both victories were delivered on a single memorable Sunday at one of India's most-watched road races.

Kushwaha's Winning Run

The 20-year-old Kushwaha crossed the line in 1:05:05, edging out Gaurav Mathur (1:05:11) by just six seconds after breaking clear of a five-man lead pack shortly past the halfway mark. Hemant Singh (1:05:37) rounded out the men's podium. It was a race of nerve as much as speed.

'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,' Kushwaha said.

Dhyani's Dominant Women's Victory

Dhyani, who trains in the United States, broke away from the Indian field early and ran alongside the international elite to finish in 1:12:46 — a time more than five minutes inside her previous best. Debutant Soniya (1:14:56) and Bhagirathi (1:15:51) completed the podium, while former champion Lili Das set a personal best of 1:16:20 in fourth.

'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,' Dhyani said.

Uttarakhand's Clean Sweep on the Women's Podium

The women's podium was a landmark moment for Uttarakhand athletics, with all three finishers — Dhyani, Soniya, and Bhagirathi — hailing from the state. It underscores a growing pipeline of distance-running talent from the hill state, whose altitude training environment increasingly mirrors what national programmes aspire to replicate.

Prize Money and Records

The top three finishers in both the Indian Elite Men's and Indian Elite Women's categories received prize money of ₹3,50,000, ₹2,50,000, and ₹1,50,000, respectively. An additional ₹1,00,000 incentive was on offer for any athlete who set a new Indian Elite record at the event. Dhyani's sub-1:13 clocking will likely intensify conversation around India's women's half marathon national record — which, as she noted, may not stand for much longer.