Harmanjot Singh, Lili Das to Lead Indian Elite Field at Delhi Half Marathon
Harmanjot Singh and Lili Das headline the Indian Elite field for the 21st Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon scheduled for October 18 in New Delhi.
The stage is set for a high-octane showdown in the capital as the 21st edition of the World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, prepares to take place on Sunday, October 18. Organizers have officially announced the Indian Elite field, featuring 22 men and 20 women ready to battle for glory on the streets of New Delhi.
Men's Race: Harmanjot Singh Eyes Dominance
Leading the charge for the men is Harmanjot Singh, the reigning World 10K Bengaluru 2026 Indian Elite champion and a silver medallist at the 2026 Asian Cross Country Championships. Making his debut at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, Singh enters the race as a formidable contender with a personal best of 1:01:46, set at the Alwar Tiger International Half Marathon.
“Winning in Bengaluru and taking silver at the Asian Cross Country this year has given me a lot of confidence going into Delhi,” Singh stated. “The Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon is one of the toughest races in the country, with a field that pushes you to your limit, and I am looking forward to testing myself against the best elite runners.”
A Field of Heavyweights
The men's category is packed with talent, including:
- Kiran Matre: A former TCS World 10K Bengaluru winner who finished second among the Indian Elites at last year's Delhi race.
- Kartik Karkera: The 2026 Tata Mumbai Marathon Indian Elite men’s winner.
- Prince Kumar: The Uttar Pradesh track star and South Asian Athletics Championships gold medallist, returning to the half marathon circuit after a hiatus.
Women's Race: Battle of the Champions
The women's elite division will see a clash of former champions. Lili Das, the 2024 Indian Elite women's category winner, and Kavita Yadav, the 2023 champion, will both be hunting for podium finishes. They face stiff competition from Ankita Dhyani, the Olympic and World Championship steeplechaser who showed impressive form during her half marathon debut in 2025.
Adding further depth to the women's field is Priti Lamba, the Asian Games 2023 steeplechase bronze medallist, who is well-acquainted with the demands of the Delhi course.
New Incentives: The PRIDE Framework
This year marks the introduction of PRIDE (Procam Rewards for Indian Distance Elites), a merit-based framework designed to empower and recognize India's top distance athletes. This initiative aims to provide transparent, performance-driven benefits to verified Indian elite athletes participating in Procam International events.
Prize Money and Records at Stake
The stakes are high for the top performers in the Indian Elite Men’s and Women’s categories. The prize money breakdown is as follows:
- First Place: Rs 3,50,000
- Second Place: Rs 2,50,000
- Third Place: Rs 1,50,000
Furthermore, an additional Rs 1,00,000 incentive is available for any athlete who manages to set a new Indian Elite record. The current records to beat are 60:30 (Men, set by Avinash Sable in 2020) and 70:31 (Women, set by L. Suriya in 2017).