Matata Breaks the Delhi Half Marathon Course Record by One Second, Winning in 58:52

Kenya's Charles Matata won the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday in 58 minutes and 52 seconds, breaking the men's course record by one second, ANI reported. The old mark, 58:53, was set by Ethiopia's Amedework Walelegn in 2020. Matata's time was also a personal best.

Ethiopia's Wudinesh Alemu won the women's elite race in 1:06:35. Nearly 40,000 runners took part in the 21st edition of the race, a World Athletics Gold Label event run on the streets of the capital.

A Kenyan sweep in the men's race

Kenyans took all three places on the men's podium. Samwel Nyamai Mailu finished second in 59:24 and Stanley Waithaka Mburu third in 59:33, PTI reported. Matata will take home the winner's prize of 27,000 dollars and an extra 12,000 dollars for breaking the course record, PTI reported.

The win runs in the family. Matata's twin brother, Alex Matata, won this race in 2025 in 59:50, PTI reported. One year later, his brother came back to the same streets and took the record his brother could not reach.

In the women's race, Kenya's Selah Businei finished second in 1:07:01 and Cynthia Chelangat Chepkwony third in 1:07:32, PTI reported. The women's course record, 1:04:46 set by Yalemzerf Yehualaw in 2020, stays in place.

The record book

Delhi has seen fast times before. When Walelegn set the men's record in 2020, he outsprinted two-time defending champion Andamlak Belihu, who finished one second behind him in 58:54, AIMS reported. In the women's race that day, Yehualaw ran 1:04:46, the second fastest women's half marathon time ever run at that point, AIMS reported. Matata's run on Sunday took the men's mark down by the smallest margin a clock can show.

The Indian elite races

Shailesh Kushwaha won the Indian men's elite race in 1:05:05, ahead of Gaurav Mathur in 1:05:11 and Hemant Kumar in 1:05:37, the Eastleigh Voice reported. Ankita Dhyani won the Indian women's elite race in 1:12:46, ahead of Soniya in 1:14:56 and Bhagirathi in 1:15:51.

A morning for the whole city

The races were flagged off by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, with Vedanta Group chief executive Arun Misra, ANI reported in the organisers' release. Vice Admiral Atul Anand was also present. The programme included the elite and mass half marathons, the Police Cup, the Champions with Disability run, the Senior Citizens Run, the Open 10K and the Great Delhi Run.

The event's Run For Zero Hunger programme contributed 50 lakh meals this year, ANI reported. Total prize money for the race was 275,732 dollars, the Eastleigh Voice reported.