World record holder Brigid Kosgei adds glamour to Delhi Half Marathon field
The Kenyan, who surprised many by breaking the marathon world record last year, will look to cap off her season with a win in ADHM 2020.
Athletics
The 2020 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon will see one of the strongest fields in the elite women’s category with reigning marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya and one of Ethiopia’s finest distance runners Ababel Yeshaneh set to compete on November 29.
The talented athletes will line up alongside the likes of Tsehay Gemechu -- course record holder in New Delhi -- Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Netsanet Gudeta, a former half marathon world record holder.
Brigid Kosgei has been the toast of the running community ever since breaking the long-standing marathon world record at the 2019 Chicago Marathon by over a minute.
Timing her race to perfection, the 26-year-old Kosgei crossed the line in 2:14:04, obliterating Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old record that stood at 2:15.25.
In Chicago, though Ababel Yeshaneh could only watch Kosgei race to the title in record time, the Ethiopian ensured that she was on top when the two faced off at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon early this year.
In the Emirates, Ababel Yeshaneh was the champion in 1:04:31 while Kosgei won the silver medal in 1:04:49.
In their more recent outings, Brigid Kosgei has continued her fine form post the COVID-19 enforced break, but 29-year-old Ababel Yeshaneh has not been that lucky.
Kosgei retained her London Marathon title at the rescheduled race, while Yeshaneh had a rough outing at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Poland. Though she took a tumble with just over three kilometres to go, the Ethiopian did enough to earn a fifth-place finish.
The 2020 edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon will be held amidst heightened restrictions with just the elite pack running the race in the capital city.