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Two-time winner and course record holder Deriba Merga of Ethiopia will lead a strong field of elite male athletes from around the world in the seventh edition of the Airtel Delhi half marathon which will be flagged off from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on November 27.
Merga, ranked fourth in the world and winner of titles in 2008 and 2009, holds the course record of 59.15 min, clocked in 2008, which is his personal best in this distance.
He leads a strong field of fellow Ethiopians, Kenyans, Tanzanians and Eritreans, of which nine have personal bests of sub-60.
Merga is in fine form this year, having beaten a world class field to win the Ras Al-Khaima half marathon in February in a record time of 59.25. He will be supported by teammates Tilahun Regassa and Lelisa Desisa, who finished runner-up last year, losing out by a fraction to Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai.
In the absence of Mutai, the Kenyan challenge will be spearheaded by Sammy Kitwara, the fastest athlete in the men’s field with a personal best of 58.48, set in September this year. The other strong Kenyans in the field include Stephen Kibiwott, with a personal best of 59.37, Philemon Limo, Mark Kiptoo and Emmanuel Bett.
The women’s challenge is also Ethiopian heavy and includes defending champion Aselefech Mergia, who won her first title here in 2008.
Mergia will be returning to lead another strong women’s field, which includes fellow Ethiopians Merima Mohammed, runners-up last year and former world half marathon silver medalist Aberu Kebede.
The Kenyan challenge will be led by Lucy Wangui Kabuu, who is the fastest in the field this year with a personal best of 67.06 and will be backed up strongly by Lydia Cheromei, Doris Changeywo and the young Valentine Kipketer.
Hungarian champion Aniko Kalovic and Olga Dubrovskaya of Belarus will also be looking to make a dent in the Ethiopian and Kenyan domination.
Source: Times of India
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