Birhanu Legese wins Delhi Half Marathon

Nitendra Singh Rawat and Lalita Babbar won the titles in the Indian Elite section. In the women's section, Lalita Babbar broke the championship record set in 2008 by Kavita Raut. Lalita clocked the fastest ever half marathon time by an Indian woman.

Birhanu Legese clinched gold in the men's category.

Birhanu Legese of Ethopua and Cynthia Limo of Kenya reserved their best for the last kilometre on way to winning the men's and women's titles at 2015 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon here on Sunday.

“I am very happy, I enjoyed the course and enjoyed the race. It was very easy for me,” Legese, after clinching the gold medal, said. The 21-year old had also clinched the Berlin Half Marathon earlier this year.

Nitendra Singh Rawat and Lalita Babbar won the titles in the Indian Elite section. In the women's section, Lalita Babbar broke the championship record set in 2008 by Kavita Raut (01:17:12). Lalita clocked the fastest ever half marathon time (01:10:52) by an Indian woman.

A total of 34,015 runners participated in the eighth Delhi Half Marathon including 13,200 amateurs, and over 70 international athletes; 19,015 enthusiasts participated in the Great Delhi Run while 400 finished the race in the Champions with Disability category and 800 in the Senior Citizens category.

The men's international section saw 10 runners in the leading pack clock 27:56 at the 10-km mark with five of them in contention hardly 500 metres from the tape. Mosinet Geremew of Ethopia triggered the flurry but his compatriot Legese crossed the line in a personal best of 59:20.

Limo won the women's title after breezing past her compatriots Helah Kiprop and Gladys Chesire over the last 200 metres.

The results:

Men: 1. Birhanu Legese (ETH) 00:59:20;2. Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 00:59:21; 3. Zersenay Tadse (Eritrean) 00:59:24;4. Edwin Kiptoo (KEN) 00:59:26; 5. Jonathan Maiyo (KEN) 00:59:26; 6. Geoffrey Kirui (KEN) 00:59:38.

Women: 1. Cynthia Limo (KEN) 01:08:35; 2. Helah Kiprop (KEN) 01:08:35; 3. Gladys Chesir (KEN) 01:08:36;4. Genet Yalew (ETH) 01:08:46; 5. Tadelech Bekele (ETH) 01:08:52; 6. Netsanet Gudeta (ETH) 01:10:47.

Indian Men: 1. Nitendra Singh Rawat (IND) 01:04:41; 2. Gopi T (IND) 01:04:45; 3. Mohd. Yunus (IND) 01:04:46; 4. Rattiram Saini (IND) 01:04:52; 5. Kalidas Hirave (IND) 01:05:16; 6. Balliappa AB (IND) 01:05:59.

Indian Women: 1. Lalita Babbar (IND) (Overall 8th) 01:10:52; 2. O P Jaisha (IND) 01:11:34; 3. Sudha Singh (IND) 01:11:46; 4. Suriya L (IND) 01:13:18; 5. Kiranjeet Gaur (IND) 01:21:02; 6. Priti Lamba (IND) 01:21:36.