Wed, Nov 10 10 07:01 PM
New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) Two-time defending champion Ethiopian Deriba Merga will lead a strong field of male elite athletes from around the world in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon here on November 21. A prize purse of USD 210,000 is up for grabs with the overall male and female winners of the IAAF Gold Label certified event standing to win USD 25,000 each. Merga, with a personal best of 59.15 set at the 2008 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, is the fastest runner in the strong field, which has more than 10 sub-60 minute runners, most of those timings set at big races this year. Merga will be in company of compatriots Eshetu Wendimu, who has a personal best of 59.56, and Lelisa Desisa, his training mate. However, the Ethiopians will have a lot to worry from the formidable Kenyan field led by Geoffrey Mutai, who has a personal best of 59.30 set while winning the 2010 RAK Half Marathon in the UAE. Incidentally, Merga was defeated by Mutai at that same race and the Kenyan also has to his credit one of the fastest ever full marathon timings of 2:04.55. Mutai will be backed by his teammate and training partner Erick Ndiema, who has also run below the hour mark this season. The other strong runners from Kenya include Sammy Kosgei, Silas Kipruto, Kiplimo Kimutai and Leonard Lagat. Kosgei set the world record in the Big 25Km Run in Berlin in May 2010, running the distance in 1:11.50, nearly a minute faster than the previous world record, while Kipruto, Kimutai and Lagat all have personal bests of 59.39, 59.36 and 59.56 respectively. Moroccan Khalid El Boumlili, an IAAF Gold Label marathoner, leads the North African challenge, while the European hopes rest on their top marathoner from Moldova, Laroslav Muschinski who has a personal best of 2.08. The women''s challenge is also Ethiopian heavy and includes 2008 winner Aselefech Mergia, who recorded her personal best of 67.22 at the RAK Half Marathon earlier this year. Her compatriots include Mare Dibaba, who ran 67.13 at that same race and 2009 half marathon world silver medallist Aberu Kebede. The other Ethipoian names of fancy are Yimer Wude, former track star and Ejigaheyu Dibaba, another world class track performer making a move to road running. The Kenyan challenge among the women will be spearheaded by Sharon Cherop, winner of the 2010 Toronto Marathon with a time of 2:22 and junior star Lydia Cheromei. Around a dozen women runners have timings under 70 minutes and that should provide for a fast race.
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