All smiles - Dieudonne Disi with the winner's check at the New Delhi Half Marathon (© VDHM Organisers)
New Delhi, IndiaThe last minute withdrawal of defending champions Francis Kibiwott and Lineth Chepkirui cost Kenyans dearly as Rwanda’s Dieudonne Disi and Ethiopian Derebe Alemu claimed the titles at the 3rd Vodafone Delhi Half-Marathon on Sunday (28).
Philip Rugut, the Kenyan who won the inaugural edition here in 2005, led the men’s field at the initial stages before team-mates Wilson Kiprotich and Isaac Macharia took over around the 10 Km mark.
Disi, a pre-race favourite with a personal best 59:32 while finishing sixth in this year’s World Road Running Championship at Udine, charged the Kenyans with the company of Tanzanian Dickson Marwa when the leading group approached 15 Km in 42:38.
There was no stopping for Disi thereafter, as he went on to win the men’s trophy in 60:43, the fastest time on Indian soil for this distance. Macharia attempted a late challenge, and finished five seconds behind the Rwandan for silver. Marwa ended in third place at 62:02 while Rugut was seventh in 62:58.
Ethiopian Alemu wins women’s crown
Atsede Habtamu of Ethiopia with a 68:29 clocking fifth place at Udine was a top-seed, along with Alice Timbilil of Kenya.
The Kenyan was ninth at the World championships with a time of 69:09, but had a personal best 68:56 while finished second at Philadelphia last month.
As expected, both Habtamu and Timbilil did the front-running. Derebe Alemu (24), the 2005 World Cross Country short course (4K) ninth placer, was in the bunch. Timbilil, the World youth champion over 3000m in 1999 and a silver medalist at the World Cross Country Championships at Saint-Galmier two years ago, went past the 18th Km in 59:53. But Alemu came from behind and emerged leader in the next kilometre at 63:36.
The Ethiopian made a strong finish with a career best timing of 70:30. Her previous mark was 72:47, when she finished sixth at Lisbon, three years ago.
Habtamu and Timbilil finished second and third respectively with 2006 European Cup 5000m bronze medalist Nataliya Berkut of Ukraine fourth.
Irina Timofeyeva of Russia, the 2005 victor here in 70:35, could mange only a ninth place finish with a time three minutes slower than her title effort in the inaugural edition.
Disi and Alemu got a prize purse of USD 20,000 and USD 18,500 respectively for their wins.
Yadav and Raut are top Indians
Ram Singh Yadav, 16th overall with 66:09 for men and Kavita Raut, 15th among women in 78:34 have been adjudged best among the Indian runners who took part here. The Royal Bank of Scotland won the Corporate Challenge introduced this year with 1:51:15. Rajiv Virat got the top spot among the wheelchair participants.
Javier Sotomayor, the Cuban holding the World High Jump record of 2.45m since 1993, was brand ambassador for this year’s race. Priyanka Chopra, former Miss World, along with legendary Cricketer Rahul Dravid made their presence to cheer the athletes and enthusiastic participants who took part in the ‘Dream Run’. Shivraj Patil, the Home Minister of India, flagged off the races. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister of Delhi, along with Suresh Kalmadi, IAAF Council Member, gave away the prizes to the winners.
Delhi’s running tradition
Otto Peltzer, the athlete-turned-coach from Germany, introduced strong running culture to Delhi when he was stationed in the Indian capital to train athletes in 1960s. The weekend Otto Peltzer races are still popular here. The city also saw the impressive Rath Indian Open Marathon for many years. Further, Delhi also conducted several charity runs to raise funds for various causes.
The successful hosting of the 2004 edition of the World Half Marathon Championshipsin this metropolis prompted the sports-lovers here to conduct an annual race since 2005, when Essar and Jindal groups came forward as main sponsors.
This year’s race had a new course with the stage for start shifted to Central Secretariat grounds near Vinay Marg in place of the usual Nehru Stadium, as the stadia is under renovation for the ensuing Commonwealth Games in 2010.
Ram. Murali Krishnan for the IAAF
Top Results:
Men:
1. Dieudonne Disi (RWA) 60:43
2. Isaac Macharia (KEN) 60:48
3. Dickson Marwa (TAN) 62:02
4. Patrick Mbuvi (KEN) 62:03
5. Wilson Kiprotich (KEN) 62:04
6. Matthew Koech (KEN) 62:29
7. Philip Rugut (KEN) 62:58
8. Festus Langat (KEN) 63:08
9. John Kibowen (KEN) 63:09
10. Tsegaye Gebrselassie (ETH) 63:16.
Women:
1. Derebe Alemu (ETH) 70:30
2. Atsede Habtamu (ETH) 70:36
3. Alice Jemeli Timbilil (KEN) 70:40
4. Nataliya Berkut (UKR) 71:14
5. Caroline Kwambai (KEN) 71:48
6. Teyiba Erkesso (ETH) 72:29
7. Alevtina Ivanova (RUS) 72:44
8. Dire Tune (ETH) 72:57
9. Irina Timofeyeva (RUS) 73:35
10. Thabita Tsatsa (ZIM) 73:50
