Kipyego, Wude takes Delhi half-marathon titles on sunny Sunday – By Ram. Murali Krishnan

New Delhi, India – 30 September 2012– A raising mercury level considerably affected the performance and winning ambitions in the eighth edition of Airtel Delhi Half Marathon held this morning.  This season's World leader Atsedu Tsegaye also did not escape from the scorching heat of the sun and finished outside the top-20 in the men's race.

The organisers advanced this year's race to September-end in order to avoid the crowded October programme. 

The Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Kipyego won men's race

Defending champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia, who clocked 59:30 to win last year, was in lead pack at initial stages together with Kenyans Silas Kipruto and Edwin Kipyego.    The Ethiopian started trailing after the 10 km mark due to pain in his Achilles tendon. 

Kipyego break away from Kipruto shortly after the half-way mark.   Kipyego, clocked 61:11 earlier this year at Verbania, look formidable in the rest of the race.  However his teammate Leonard Langat, who was seventh at Delhi in 2010 and recorded a noteworthy 59:52 for his third place in Ras Al Khaimah last year, joined the leader in around 14 km.  

When Kipyego crossed the 20 km, he was about 100m ahead of Langat and hot air started blowing in the wind with a speed of about 6 km/hr.  Further the weather monitors revealed 24 degree Celsius with 70 percent humidity en route.

Langat made a desperate effort to close-in the gap yet Kipyego was a good 50m ahead of him at the finish clocked 60:55, the slowest winning time in six years.  Langat (1:01:07) and Kipruto (1:01:57) made it a Kenyan sweep at the podium.

Milton Rotich, who was tenth here last year, finished fourth ahead Bangalore World 10K winner and his Kenyan country-mate Titus Mbieshi.    Yemane Tsegaye was the first Ethiopian finisher in sixth place, three seconds ahead of Desisa who finished seventh at 1:02:50.         

 "The weather was good at the start but later on it became humid. I tried my best but could not set any record. But I am very happy with the results, because I hadn't expected to win," Kipyego said after the race.

Wude brought Ethiopian heritage back

The women's race, started 5 minutes after men's, was worst suffered due to heat-waves.  Kenyan Helah Kiprop was slightly ahead of the leading the pack of around eight runners when they passed the first 4 km.   Kiprop earlier won this summer's TCS World 10K at Bangalore.   

As they passed 7 km, Ethiopian Yimer Wude was seen at seventh place with Kiprop still ahead in the race.  The pace increased afterwards and Aberek Afework moved upfront in the next kilometre.  Kiprop and Belaynesh Oljira were next with Wude running in fourth place at that point.  Waganesh Amare of Ethiopia was at seventh position, but all of them were running very close to each other.

In the half-way mark Wude, Amare and Kiprop were started running neck to neck.  However the Kenyan could not cope-up with the pace thereafter and thus allowed both Wude and Amare to fight it out for the top place.       

At the end Wude sprinted to the tape and finished just two seconds ahead of Amare.  

Aselefech Mergia's sixth appearance to claim a third title went in futile as she dropped midway due to cramps.

Wude, the Worlds bronze medallist in 10,000m at Berlin three years ago, said "It was a great run for me. It was a very hot and humid day but we ran together till the finishing line. In the last few metres, I decided to push to win the race". 

She further added "I am very happy today, it was an unbelievable result for me."

Actress Bipasha Basu, the face of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, and Olympian David Rudisha flagged off the races.

As much as 31,746 runners took the Delhi roads on Sunday morning, taking part in various categories, and the winners in elite category received a prize purse of USD 25,000 each.

Rahul Kumar Pal, the winner in this year's Asian junior championships at Colombo, was first among the Indians (and overall 16^th) in 1:06:12.   In the women's division, the reigning Asian Games steeplechase gold medallist Sudha Singh emerged fastest among the Indians in a time of 1:19:34.

Apart from elite field, the appearance of a 96-years aged grand old lady of Chandigarh drew much attention among the participants.  Mann Kaur, who already ran the sprint races in World Masters Championships at Sacramento last year, started taking part in athletics only four years ago with her 78-year-old son who is living in Canada. 

 

Ram. Murali Krishnan

 

Leading Results:

 

MEN

1.Edwin Kipyego (KEN) 1:00:55, 2. Leonard Langat (KEN) 1:01:07, 3. Silas Kipruto (KEN) 1:01:57, 4. Milton Rotich (KEN) 1:02:01, 5. Titus Mbieshi (KEN) 1:02:44, 6. Yemane Tsegaye (ETH) 1:02:47, 7. Lelisa Desisa (ETH) 1:02:50, 8. Gideon Kipketer(KEN) 1:03:33, 9. Bazu Worku (ETH) 1:03:38, 10. Abdellah Fathi (MAR) 1:03:53, 11. Andualem Belay (ETH) 1:04:00, 12. Nicholas Kemboi (QAT) 1:04:48, 13. Sentayehu Merga (ETH) 1:05:10, 14. Dickson Marwa (TAN) 1:05:36, 15. Ezekiel Chebii (KEN) 1:05:52, 16. Rahul Kumar Pal (IND) 1:06:12, 17. Nitender Singh (IND) 1:06:14, 18. Indrajeet Singh (IND) 1:06:15, 19. Sandip Kumar (IND) 1:06:15, 20. Elam Singh (IND) 1:06:20;

 

WOMEN

1.Yimer Wude (ETH) 1:11:10, 2. Waganesh Amare (ETH) 1:11:12, 3. Helah Kiprop (KEN) 1:11:18, 4. Yebrugul Melese (ETH) 1 :11:30, 5. Hilalia Johannes (NAM) 1:11:43, 6. Belayanesh Oljira (ETH) 1:12:16, 7. Aberek Afework (ETH) 1:13:00, 8. Caroline Kilel (KEN) 1:13:26, 9. Tigist Kiros (ETH) 1:13:52, 10. Goitetom Tesema (ETH) 1:14:30, 11. Guteni Imana (ETH) 1:15:04, 12. Mary Naali (TAN) 1:15:16, 13. Kejeta Yisak (ETH) 1:16:51, 14. Helen Kimutai (KEN) 1:16:56, 15. Irene Mogaka (KEN) 1:17:53, 16. Jane Kingori (KEN) 1:19:24, 17. Sudha Singh (IND) 1:19:34, 18. Kavita Raut (IND) 1:19:53,  19. Viola Kimeli (KEN) 1:20:43, 20. Lalita Babbar (IND) 1:20:47.