Delhi half marathon: Tokyo Olympics preparation in mind for world’s best runners

For among the world’s finest runners, the Airtel Delhi half marathon has come as a pleasing shock in a season that has seen giant numbers of races being cancelled attributable to COVID-19 pandemic. No marvel, the Delhi half marathon will see a powerful area in motion on the race day on Sunday. It will even have among the monitor stars like 5000m world champion Muktar Idris, who shall be trying to test his preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. All of them have been comfortable to get a possibility to run within the pandemic-affected season.

The males’s and ladies’s defending champions – Andamlac Belihu and Tsehay Gemechu, each in search of a hat-trick of titles within the Delhi half marathon – are eager to chase a course file.

“Thanks to the organisers that this race is being held. Because of Covid 19 problem everywhere races are closed (this season). I am very happy and excited to be here. The course is fantastic and I have been following a good programme, focused on my training. I think it is possible to break the course record,” stated Ethiopian Belihu, who clocked 59:10 on method to the title final 12 months, nonetheless wanting Guye Adola’s course file 59:06 seconds set in 2014.

The girls’s area will see a powerful competitors. Besides defending champion and course file holder Gemechu (66:50), world file holder in half marathon, Ababel Yeshaneh and marathon, Brigid Kosgei may even run the course. One of the world’s top-class runners Kosgei broke Paula Radcliffe’s 16-year-old world file within the girls’s marathon in Chicago final 12 months. She is now coaching with the Tokyo Olympics in thoughts. She is coming to New Delhi after defending her London marathon title.

“I took 10 days off after London but I have had six weeks of very good training for this race. I have a good record in half marathons. It is a tough field here and it is going to be a tough race on Sunday.”

“My target is to win that gold at Tokyo Olympics for my country. The preparations for the Olympics are going on slowly because of the pandemic. This race is part of the preparations now,” she stated.

Kosgei and Yeshaneh admitted they have been shocked to see the race being held in Delhi this 12 months. “We lost out on many races this year so when the news came of Delhi race being held, my family asked how come they are holding a race? It was a surprise,” stated Yeshaneh, who completed fifth within the half marathon world championship.

Kosgei stated she instructed her household that it’s a very well-organized race. “I told them I will take care of myself and follow the rules,” she stated.

Defending girls’s champion Gemechu stated they’ve been coaching nicely and able to go all out on Sunday. “Because of COVID pandemic restrictions we are not training in groups but individually we have been training well and looking forward to this race. I will look to set a new course record”

Two-times 5000m World Champion Idris shall be operating in his first half marathon on Sunday. “We missed the whole season. This race will help me to prepare for the big race (Tokyo Olympics),” he stated.