World marathon record holder Brigid Kosgei has been added to the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon women's field, making the 16th edition of this World Athletics Gold Label race on November 29 the strongest in the history of the event — and one of the strongest half marathon contests in the world in 2020.
Kosgei faces a stern test in the shape of Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia in the event.
At the Chicago Marathon in October 2019, Kenya’s Kosgei stunned the world when she broke the long-standing women’s world marathon record by more than a minute, clocking 2:14:04. Yeshaneh was a distant second on that occasion but nevertheless still ran a superb personal best of 2:20:51
However, the tables were turned at the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in February this year when a head-to-head contest in the final stages of the race saw Ethiopia’s Yeshaneh prevail in a world record 1:04:31 with Kosgei second in 1:04:49.
In their most recent outings last month, the 26-year-old Kosgei won the rescheduled London Marathon in 2:18:58 while the 29-year-old Yeshaneh had to contend with misfortune and fell at the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, with just over three kilometres remaining, which took her out of medal contention although she recovered quickly to finish fifth.
A trio of Ethiopian runners has already been announced that will provide stiff competition for Kosgei and Yeshaneh as well as a host of other world-class athletes.
Women's course record holder Tsehay Gemechu is seeking an unprecedented third successive victory. In 2019, Gemechu improved her own course record from 12 months earlier by no less than 50 seconds when she stopped the clocking 1:06:00.
Yeshaneh and Gemechu's compatriots on the start line in the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium include Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Netsanet Gudeta.
Yehualaw finished second in the ADHM 2019, just one second behind Gemechu, and third at the 2020 World Championships last month in a personal best of 1:05:19 while Gudeta finished eighth in Poland but was the 2018 world half marathon champion.
Both the men's and women's races have first prize cheques of US$27,000 (Sh2.7m), part of a total prize money purse (combined men and women) of US$233,270(Sh23m).
