Matata breaks the Delhi Half Marathon 2026 course record

Kenya's Charles Matata won the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday morning in 58 minutes 52 seconds, breaking the course record by one second. Ethiopia's Wudinesh Alemu won the women's elite race in 1:06:35.

In the Indian elite races, Shailesh Kushwaha and Ankita Dhyani took the titles, The Bridge and Free Press Journal reported.

Key points

• Men: Charles Matata (Kenya) 58:52, a course record and a personal best.
• The old record, 58:53, was set by Ethiopia's Amedework Walelegn in 2020.
• Women: Wudinesh Alemu (Ethiopia) 1:06:35, ahead of two Kenyan runners.
• Indian elite winners: Shailesh Kushwaha (1:05:05) and Ankita Dhyani (1:12:46).
• Nearly 40,000 people ran in the 21st edition of the race.

Delhi Half Marathon 2026: the results

Results are provisional until the organisers publish the final list.

A record in difficult conditions

Matata's time beat his previous best of 59:15, set in May 2026, according to both reports. He was second in Delhi in 2023, and his twin brother Alex won the race in 2025 in 59:50.

The record came despite conditions that suited distance running poorly: humidity was around 90% and the temperature about 21°C, Free Press Journal reported.

The women's race was won by a much younger runner than many expected. Alemu, reported to be 19, finished 26 seconds clear of Kenya's Selah Businei.

Prize money

The total prize purse was USD 275,732 (about ₹2.6 crore). The men's and women's elite winners received USD 27,000 each, and Matata earned an extra USD 12,000 for the course record. The top three Indian elite men and women received ₹3.5 lakh, ₹2.5 lakh and ₹1.5 lakh.

Route change

Organisers changed the route to avoid Rail Bhawan, Sansad Marg and Patel Chowk because of protests in the area, The Bridge reported. The race is a World Athletics Gold Label road race, and the course is certified by AIMS, the international body for road races.

Why it matters: The Delhi Half Marathon is a World Athletics Gold Label race, and a course record makes it more attractive to the world's top runners and sponsors. For Indian distance running, the Indian elite races are a rare chance for domestic athletes to race against a world-class field and earn prize money at home.

One second is the smallest margin a record can fall by in road running. On a humid Delhi morning, it was enough to put Matata's name at the top of the race's history.