Long-distance runner Kartik Kumar, who won a silver medal at the Asian Games 2023, will spearhead the Indian challenge at the Delhi Half Marathon 2023 on Sunday, October 15.
Delhi Half Marathon 2023 is a gold-standard World Athletics Label Road Race. Started in 2005, this will be the 18th edition of the half marathon event.
Kartik Kumar is in top form this season having won India’s first Asian Games medal in 10,000m since Gulab Chand in 1998. At the 2022 Delhi Half Marathon, the 24-year-old clocked 1:04:00 but was pipped to the finish line by Avinash Sable in the Indian elite men’s category.
Though Sable is not competing this year, Kumar will face stiff competition from Dhaka Half Marathon champion Abhishek Pal, Murali Kumar Gavit, winner of the half marathon at the Mumbai Marathon, and experienced campaigner Srinu Bugatha.
Meanwhile, Sanjivani Jadhav will look to defend her title in the Indian elite women’s category. She recorded a timing of 1:17.53 in the last edition of the Delhi Half Marathon. Sanjivani was the bronze medal winner in the 5000m event at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships.
Among other contenders for the title in the Indian women’s elite race are Bengaluru 10K 2023 winner Tamshi Singh and two-time New Delhi Marathon champion Jyoti Gawate.
Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo, the 2023 world championships silver medallist in 10,000m and Almaz Ayana of Ethiopia, the 2016 Olympic champion in 10,000m, will headline the elite fields in the men's and women's categories, respectively.
Decathlete Ashton Eaton, a two-time Olympic champion from the USA, is the event ambassador of the Delhi Half Marathon 2023.
Apart from the half marathon to be contested over 21.0975km as per World Athletics, the Great Delhi Run (4.5km), the Senior Citizens’ Run and the Champions with Disability Run (2.5km) will be the short distance runs organised under the Delhi Half Marathon banner for amateur runners.