Delhi Half Marathon Unveils Elite Runners for 21st Edition

The Delhi Half Marathon is gearing up for its 21st edition, featuring a competitive lineup of elite runners including Harmanjot Singh and Kiran Matre. Scheduled for October 18, the event introduces a new rewards framework, PRIDE, aimed at recognizing Indian distance athletes. With significant prize money and record incentives on the line, this year's race promises to be thrilling. Read on to learn more about the participants and the exciting developments surrounding this prestigious event.

By Narendra Chaudhary Oct 9, 2026, 00:23 IST

Exciting Lineup for the Delhi Half Marathon

The Delhi Half Marathon has officially revealed its Indian Elite participants for the 21st edition of this prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, set to take place in New Delhi on Sunday, October 18.

This year's elite field features 22 male and 20 female athletes, with Harmanjot Singh and Kiran Matre leading the men's category, as stated in a recent press release.

Harmanjot, who is the reigning champion of the World 10K Bengaluru 2026 and a silver medalist at the 2026 Asian Cross Country Championships, will be making his debut at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. With a personal best time of 1:01:46 achieved at the Alwar Tiger International Half Marathon, he stands out as a formidable competitor.

"Winning in Bengaluru and securing silver at the Asian Cross Country this year has boosted my confidence ahead of the Delhi race. The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is known for its challenging nature, and I am eager to compete against the best elite runners in this distance. I will give my all on race day," Harmanjot Singh expressed.

Kiran Matre, who secured second place among Indian Elite men in last year's Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, aims to improve upon his personal best of 1:04:57 from that event. He is also a previous winner of the Indian Elite race at the TCS World 10K Bengaluru (2024), where he clocked an impressive 29:32.

The competition will be fierce, with Kartik Karkera, the winner of the Indian Elite men's race at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2026 and last year's second runner-up at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, also in the mix.

Returning to the half marathon scene after a significant break is track star Prince Kumar from Uttar Pradesh, who clinched titles in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2025 Open National Athletics Championships, as well as the 5,000m gold at the 2025 South Asian Athletics Championships.

Adding to the competitive landscape is Priti Lamba, a bronze medalist in steeplechase at the Asian Games 2023, who has previously reached the Indian Elite podium in Delhi.

In the Women's Elite category, former champions Lili Das and Kavita Yadav will spearhead the competition. Lili Das triumphed in the Indian Elite women's category in 2024, while Kavita Yadav was victorious among Indian women in 2023. Their quest for another podium finish will be challenged by Olympic and World Championship steeplechaser Ankita Dhyani, who made a strong impression during her half marathon debut in 2025, finishing fifth among the Indian Elite women.

The 21st edition also introduces PRIDE (Procam Rewards for Indian Distance Elites), a new merit-based rewards system aimed at recognizing and empowering Indian elite athletes participating in Procam International events. This initiative offers top distance runners in India transparent, performance-driven benefits, celebrating excellence and promoting the growth of elite distance running in the country.

The rewards framework is applicable to all verified Indian elite distance athletes registering for Procam International events.

Prize money and Indian Elite event record incentives are also on the line, with the top three finishers in both the Men's and Women's Indian Elite categories set to receive Rs 3,50,000, Rs 2,50,000, and Rs 1,50,000, respectively. An additional Rs 1,00,000 will be awarded for breaking the current Indian Elite records, which stand at 60:30 for men, set by Avinash Sable in 2020, and 70:31 for women, set by L. Suriya in 2017.