Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon: Schedule, Elite Athletes, Prize Money

The 20th edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, is set for Sunday, October 12, in New Delhi, featuring a thrilling showdown between defending women's champion Alemaddis Eyayu and multiple World cross-country medalist Lilian Rengeruk.

Lilian, who won the Bengaluru World 10K last year and clocked a fast 1:03:32 in Valencia, is aiming to break the women's course record of 1:04:46 set by Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw in 2020.

Speaking on her challenges with injuries, Lilian said, "Injuries remind you how much you love sport. Now I focus on staying strong and consistent - I want to be at my best without crossing that line again. " Trained by Italian coach Claudio Berardelli with an eye on the 2028 Olympics,

Lilian comes in strong after winning the Prague half-marathon earlier this year.

Ethiopian Alemaddis Eyayu, who started her 2025 season with a win in Hong Kong and clocked 1:07:12 at the Berlin Half Marathon this year, is ready to defend her Delhi crown. "Every season teaches you something new. I come to Delhi stronger, not just physically but mentally too - ready to run with heart," she said.

In the men's race, 31-year-old Ethiopian Birhanu Legase Gurmesa, a two-time Delhi winner and winner of back-to-back Tokyo Marathons (2019-2020), returns for his tenth Delhi Half. Birhanu aims to challenge the men's course record (58:53) and said, "India has always been special for me. The warmth and respect we get here make it easy to run freely. " Kenya's Benard Biwott, fresh from his Paris Marathon victory, plans to push hard after the halfway mark, focusing on endurance when "the legs start to tire. "

Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon Prize Money

The event offers a total prize purse of USD 260,000, with the men's and women's champions each set to win USD 27,000. Second and third places earn USD 20,000 and USD 13,000 respectively, with a USD 12,000 bonus for any record-breaker. Since its inception in 2005, the Delhi Half Marathon has become Asia's premier half marathon, attracting top global talent and inspiring runners across India.