New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): New Delhi came alive before sunrise on Sunday as thousands of runners took to the streets for the Delhi Half Marathon (DHM) 2026. The 5:18 am flag-off of the elite men's race set the stage for the 21st edition of the World Athletics Gold Label race, promoted by Procam International, as the event entered its third decade.

With over 41,000 runners - including over 10,000 women - participating, the morning carried an energy that reflected the race's place in the capital's sporting calendar over the past 21 years. 

Kenya's Charles Matata set the tone, winning the men's race in 58:52 to break the course record by just one second. Running at a pace of 2:47 per km, the 29-year-old finished ahead of compatriots Samwel Nyamai Mailu (59:24) and Stanley Waithaka Mburu (59:33), completing a Kenyan podium sweep and underlining the quality of the field this road race draws every year.

Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon once again showed that the capital's biggest running celebration belongs to everyone. The Champions with Disability Run, Senior Citizens' Run, and the Great Delhi Run, which was flagged off by the Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta later in the morning, bought together runners from across communities.

Rekha Gupta said, 'Delhi is feeling even more vibrant with the Delhi Half Marathon happening here, where over 41,000 participants take part, including over 10,000 women, and there is no difference of community, no bar of age. I saw it myself today: older women, young girls, ladies of all ages running in this marathon. Persons with disabilities were also running, and everyone is enjoying it. Sports and running have moved beyond being just a sporting activity; they have become a way of life. India's image gets built across the entire world, and people understand that in India, in Delhi, this has been accepted not as a sporting event but as a community event, and the whole world is participating in it. This event being held in Delhi is a matter of pride for all of us.'

Two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo, who was this edition's International Event Ambassador, was on the grandstand to share her support for the runners, elite and amateur alike.

Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Ltd, and Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Ltd, said, "With over 41,000 runners taking to the streets, this year's Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon celebrated sporting excellence, personal determination and the extraordinary power of collective action. From elite athletes pushing the limits of performance to first-time runners discovering their strength, every participant showed how sport can inspire us to go further-for ourselves and for others. Together with everyone who contributed their kilometres to Run For Zero Hunger, we achieved this year's target of 5 million meals. At the Anil Agarwal Foundation, we believe sport has the power to build champions and transform lives. Every personal best and every finish line became part of a bigger victory-a step towards a better-nourished India."

Ethiopia's Wudinesh Alemu Keneni won the International Elite women's race in 1:06:35, ahead of Kenya's Selah Jepleting Busienei (1:07:01) and Cynthia Chelangat Chepkwony (1:07:32), while among Indian athletes, Shailesh Kushwaha led the Elite men in 1:05:05, six seconds clear of Gaurav Mathur (1:05:11) with Hemant Singh third (1:05:37), and Ankita won the women's race in 1:12:46, ahead of Soniya (1:14:56) and Bhagirathi (1:15:51).

Speaking at the event, Union Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju said, 'When the Fit India Movement started, we wanted to create a buzz, a kind of movement, and today a movement has truly happened. The Delhi Half Marathon is becoming a festive occasion for everyone every year, with thousands of people joining, and I am excited. Sport is a spirit that everybody must imbibe, because it makes you positive. It brings fitness not only to your body but to your mind, and everything changes. One must be sporty, one must be fit and remain active in life, and that makes life very vibrant.' 

With thousands of runners on the start lines, the 21st edition once again showed what makes the Delhi Half Marathon special: a course-record run at the front, service chiefs and city leaders sharing the road with everyday runners, and a capital that turns out in force to celebrate running. (ANI)