Conditions promise quick race, Gulveer withdraws

The lead up to the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon has been all about whether the elite men's course record of 58 minutes and 53 seconds can be broken after five years.

- Avishek Roy

The runners get a good setting to do that. The onset of early winter and low pollution level will allow them to go all out on a flat course known to produce fast timings.

Though the men's field is not as star-studded as last year's, won by twice Olympic medallist Joshua Cheptegei, Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese and Kenya's Paris Marathon winner Benard Biwott (PB 59:44) say they are up for the challenge. Another Kenyan Alex Matata is coming off a good season, having won four half marathons with a personal best (PB) of 59:20 in February.

The existing course record belongs to Ethiopia's Amedework Walelegn, who set the mark in 2020.