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The race slowed as the city experiences a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic and dangerous air quality.
Some of the world’s leading long-distance runners have participated in a half marathon in New Delhi as the Indian capital faces a surge in COVID-19 cases and air pollution that has recently been among the worst. of the world.
More than 60 professional runners participated in the race on Sunday, while several hundred enthusiasts ran in other cities on routes of their choice, using a mobile app to post their race schedules, event organizers said.
The route was doused with chemicals to minimize the effect of the annual toxic smog that blankets the megacity in winter due to traffic and industrial pollution, burning crop stubble and low temperatures.
The air quality index, which monitors the tiny PM2.5 and PM10 particles entering the bloodstream and vital organs, was at 244 and in the “poor” category, the Central Pollution Control Board said on Sunday.
Doctors said last week that it would be “suicidal” for runners to participate in the competition because of the twin risks.
‘Flat and good’
Ethiopian athlete Amedework Walelegn, center, gestures as he crosses the finish line to win the 2020 Airtel Delhi Men’s Half Marathon in New Delhi on November 29, 2020. [Sajjad HUSSAIN/AFP]
Ethiopia’s Amdework Walelegn won the men’s race with a course record of 58.53 minutes with last year’s champion Andamlak Belihu just one second behind.
The previous best record was 59.06 set by Guye Adola of Ethiopia in 2014.
“The course was very good,” said Walelegn. “In previous years there were a lot of U-turns, but this time it was flat and good for running.”
Ethiopian athlete Yalemzerf Yehualaw runs to the finish line to win the 2020 Airtel Delhi Women’s Half Marathon in New Delhi on November 29, 2020 [Sajjad HUSSAIN/AFP] (AFP)
In the women’s race, Yalemzerf Yehualaw of Ethiopia won at 1.04.46 – also a record – with Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya in second place.
Avinash Sable, who qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, was the top Indian finalist with a national record time of 1: 00.30.
The 2020 Airtel Delhi Half Marathon “is a very important moment for Indian sports since the pandemic began,” said Abhinav Bindra, brand ambassador for the event and India’s only individual Olympic gold medalist.
The event is a step towards the resumption of competitive sports in India and will be a benchmark for other sports to follow, he said.
The race also took place when thousands of farmers, irritated by the new agricultural laws, staged a third consecutive day of protests, blocking some main roads to the capital.
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