Kenenisa Bekele named event ambassador of Delhi Half Marathon; 34,000 to participate

WORLD AND OLYMPIC record holder in 5,000 and 10,000 metres, Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia was on Wednesday named the event ambassador of the 8th Delhi Half Marathon to be held in Delhi on November 29.

Bekele, two-time Olympic and four-time world champion in 10,000 metres, will grace the occasion at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium that will see the participation of 34,000 runners.

The Half Marathon has received 13,200 entries, the DHL Corporate Champions have 200 teams (600 runners), while the Great Delhi Run has 19,000 entries. The Senior Citizens’ Run will have 800 participants, and the Champions with Disability event will have 400 participants. A total of 34,000 runners from different corners of the world are participating.

“Over the years, the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon has emerged to become an outstanding platform that celebrates people’s passion for running. Be it professional runners, fitness enthusiasts, the elderly or children in Delhi – ADHM sees the overwhelming participation of people from difference walks of life – all coming together to run for a social cause. ADHM has been growing exponentially every year and is indeed a strategic association for brand Airtel. As proud title sponsors of this amazing annual sporting event, we at Airtel are excited to inch closer to Race Day and invite people across the city to step out of their homes on 29th November to cheer the participants of the 8th edition of Airtel Delhi Half Marathon,” said Sarang Kanade, Hub CEO - Delhi NCR and Rajasthan, Bharti Airtel.

Vivek Singh, Jt. Managing Director, Procam International said,

“As we enter the 8th  edition of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, we are all set for another great race. This year, half marathon registrations closed a month prior to the closing date, reflective of the growing running culture in the Capital City, and the enthusiasm with which people take running now. We are pleased to be spreading the message of health and fitness. We welcome and thank our runners and partners for supporting the event and helping it grow to this level.”

One of the greatest champions and hailed as the Usain Bolt of distance running, Kenenisa Bekele will grace the eighth edition of ADHM as the Event Ambassador.

He holds the World and Olympic record in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres events (indoor and outdoor). He won a double at the 2008 Summer Olympics in both these events and also won the 2004 Olympic title over 10,000 m.
Bekele participated in his first Half Marathon, The Great North Run in 2013, in which he beat both Mo Farah and Haile Gebrselassie and emerged on top. Thereafter, Bekele did the impossible -- on April 6, 2014, he produced the sixth fastest marathon debut ever on a record-eligible course with his victory at the Paris Marathon, in a course record time of 2:05:04.

Bekele, is the most accomplished runner in IAAF World Cross Country Championships history, with six long (12 km) course and five short (4 km) course titles. He won the 10,000 m title at the World Championships in Athletics four times running from 2003 to 2009 (matching Haile Gebrselassie's win streak). Kenenisa was unbeaten over 10,000 m from his debut in 2003 until 2011.

Start Times: The Half Marathon for Elite men will start at 6.40 am followed by the Half Marathon for Elite women at 6.50 am. The new 10K, 5K and 3K for Indian Athletes will be flagged off at 6:54 am. The DHL Corporate Champions race will start at 6.55 am, followed by the Amateur Marathon (Categories A to F) at 7.10am.

These will be followed by the Champions with Disability at 7.35am, the Senior Citizens’ Run at 8.00 am and the Great Delhi Run at 9.35 am. All flag-offs will be through Gate 1 of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Gate 1 will serve as the Finish Area for all categories apart from the Champions with Disability and the Senior Citizens’ Run, which will conclude at Gate 2. The 10K, 5K and 3K for Indian Athletes will finish at 10, 5 and 3km points on the route respectively.