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Airtel Delhi Half Marathon Elite Field



MEN ELITE ATHLETES AIRTEL DELHI HALF MARATHON
  1. Daniel Kipchumba                          KEN/1997                            59:06
  2. Leul Gebresilase                             ETH/1992                            59:18
  3. Moses Kurong                                  UGA/1994                          59:50
  4. Amdework Walelegn                    ETH/1999                            59:50
  5. Andamlak Belihu                             ETH/1998                            59:51
  6. Leonard Korir                                    USA/1986                           59:52
  7. Emmanuel Bett                                KEN/1985                            60:08
  8. Abdallah Mande                             UGA/1995                          60:14
  9. Betesfa Getahun                            ETH/1998                            60:26
  10. Aron Kifle                                           ERI/1998                              60:31
  11. Aweke Ayalew                                 BRN/1993                           61:09
  12. Hagos Gebrhiwet                           ETH/1994                            debut
  13. Gopi Thonakal                                  IND/1988                            64:55
PACE     Ronald Kirui
PACE     Alfred Ngeno
FEMALE ELITE ATHLETES AIRTEL DELHI HALF MARATHON
  1. Tirunesh Dibaba                              ETH/1985                            66:50
  2. Joyciline Jepkosgei                         KEN/1993                            64:51 WR
  3. Ababel Yeshaneh                            ETH/1990                            65:46
  4. Worknesh Degefa                          ETH/1990                            66:14
  5. Zeineba Yimer                                  ETH/1998                            66:21
  6. Tejitu Daba                                        BRN/1991                           68:21
  7. Stacy Ndiwa                                      KEN/1992                            69:09
  8. Failuna Matanga                             TAN/1992                           69:36
  9. Loganathan Suriya                          IND/1990                            70:31 NR
  10. Senbere Teferi                                 ETH/1995                            debut
  11. Tsehay Gemechu                            ETH/1998                            debut
PACE     Stella Chesang
PACE     Timothy Kutto


MEN ELITE ATHLETES DELHI HALF MARATHON 2018

1.
Daniel Kipchumba
KEN/1997
59:06
Daniel is part of the same training group as Eric Kiptanui under coach Renato Canova. Daniel paced Eric Kiptanui through 15km in Berlin Half Marathon at 58’ pace. He then got a chance himself to race the distance a couple of weeks later in Italy and managed to set the 4th fastest time of 2018. He proved to be stable by winning Copenhagen Half Marathon in September against a very competitive field again in 59:06.

2.
Leul Gebresilase
ETH/1992
59:18
Leul Gebresilase hailes from Awasa, a place about 300km south of Addis Abeba. He is married and became father of a baby boy 7 months ago. He started running in 2002(aged 10) and later moved to Ethiopia’s capital to become a better athlete. Leul, like many Ethiopian athletes, was inspired by fellow Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele(“he is my hero”) to start running.  Apart from running, Leul also likes to watch football.

3.
Moses Kurong
UGA/1994
59:50
Moses started his career competing for the Police Club in Uganda on the track and cross country. He represented Uganda in ten international championships so far. In 2017 Moses committed to road racing and set the Ugandan record holder for Half Marathon. Moses lives and trains in Kapchorwa (Uganda). Moses was also one of the pacers for the NIKE Breaking 2 project.

4.
Amdework Walelegn
ETH/1999
59:50
Earlier this year Amdework run a Turkish all comers record by being the first men to break the 1 hour barrier over the half marathon. The young up and coming Ethiopian talent made name by finishing 2nd at the World Junior Cross last year in the Ugandan capital Kampala.

5.
Andamlak Belihu
ETH/1998
59:51
Andamlak trains under coach Gemedu in a very succesfull group. Among the athletes he trains with is Guye Adola the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon record holder and 2nd behind Eliud Kipchoge during the Berlin Marathon. Andamlak came to the international running scene impressing with stellar performances. He run the fastest time this year by a Junior over 10.000m. Andamlak made an impressive debut last year at the Delhi Half Marathon by finishing 2nd in a time under 1 hour.

6.
Leonard Korir
USA/1986
59:52
Kenyan born Leonard Korir moved to the United States to study Political Science at the Iona College in 2009. Once he got used to the American college life, he turned out to be a good athlete. He won his first NCAA indoor title in 2011, by winning the 5000m in a new Iona Record. Only a few months later he won his second NCAA title by winning the 10.000m. After graduating Leonard Korir moved to Colorado Springs to join the American Distance Project to train under coach Scott Simmons. He used to focus on track races but he made his half marathon debut in 2014. The 2015 season started of great of Leonard with a victory in the NYC Half Marathon. Later on in 2015, Leonard decided to join the army and applied for American citizenship. In 2016 he already represented his new country at the Olympic Games and he won the USA 20k championships. Leonard started 2017 in great form by winning Houston Half Marathon. He continued winning, by taking victories at the USA half marathon championships, Peachtree road races, Jacksonville Gate River Run and a second place at the USA 20k Championships. He also placed 13th at the World Championships 10,000m. Last year Leonard came close to the US Record for half marathon running his 59.52 PB in Delhi.

7.
Emmanuel Bett
KEN/1985
60:08
In 2011 and 2012 Emmanuel surprised by running 26’ for 10.000m. Despite the very fast clocking he never had the chance to represent Kenya in one of the major championships. In the last year he has had some niggles and he recorded a DNF in the Chicago Marathon 2017. This month however he showed a good comeback by finishing 4th in the highly competitive Eldoret Half Marathon.

8.
Abdallah Mande            
UGA/1995         
60:14
Abdallah Mande surprised everyone in 2013 by winning the Ugandan 5.000m championships in 13:30 (second fastest ever in Uganda) and beating all pre-race favorites like Moses Kipsiro and Geoffrey Kusuro. This victory gave him a spot in the team for the African Junior Championships. He won silver in the 5.000m and was fourth in the 10.000m. In 2015, Abdallah became fifth in the 10.000m at the World Junior Championships even though he was suffering from malaria. Since the beginning of 2016, Abdallah trains at home in Kapchorwa together with World Junior Champion Joshua Cheptegei, who started his international running career competing in TCS World 10k Bengaluru in 2014 finishing 2nd behind Geoffrey Kamworor. Last October Abdallah had a first taste of half marathon running and already in three half marathons he improved from 60:51 to 60:14.

9. Betesfa Getahun ETH/1998 60:26
Inspired by Kenenisa Bekele, the young Betesfa picked up running himself in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa back in 2011. Like his hero he first turned his attention to track but soon he changed to road running. In his down time he likes to watch football.

10. Aron Kifle ERI/1998 60:31
Already at a young age Aron had success on the international scene. In his first international year, 2015, he managed to qualify for both the World Championships and African Games. His first significant successes came in 2016 winning medals at both the World Junior Championships as well as the African Junior Championships. Aron made his half marathon debut last March in Valencia finishing 3rd.

11. Aweke Ayalew BRN/1993 61:09
Ethiopian born Aweke Ayalew represents Bahrain since 2013. He went to various championships for Bahrain winning a medal at the Asian Championships Cross in 2016. In the spring of 2018 he came 11that the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia.

12. Hagos Gebrhiwet ETH/1994 Debut
Frustrated by injuries the past season Hagos made a strong comeback this summer. The crown on his season without a doubt was his 12.45 clocking in Brussels last August placing him 5th in the all-time rankings over 5.000m in history. The multiple World and Olympic medalist is making his first step to the longer distance in Delhi and will be one to watch.

FEMALE ELITE ATHLETES DELHI HALF MARATHON 2018

51.
Tirunesh Dibaba
ETH/1985
66:50
Nicknamed “babyface killer”, Tirunesh made fame through the years competing on the track over 5000m, 10.000m and cross. Tirunesh won 3 Olympic Golds, 9 World Titles and another 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals. Besides that she set various WR as well as NR. In 2014 she made her marathon debut finishing 3rd in the highly competitive London Marathon.

52.
Joyciline Jepkosgei
KEN/1993
64:51 WR
Joyciline’s star rose quickly she made her international debut in 2016 in Karlovy Vary half marathon in Czech Republic, a race she won in 69.07. She went on to win the classic Marseille-Cassis 20km race on a hilly course where she broke the CR. A year later she went on to finish 3rd in the highly competitive RAK Half marathon in a race where her compatriot Peres Jepchirchir won and broke the WR for half marathon. Something which Jepkosgei did on three occasions herself in 2017. She first set a new WR over half marathon in April 2017 in Prague, where she would return in September that year to set a new WR over 10km. She broke the WR for half marathon for a 2nd time in Valencia in October during the half marathon.

53. Ababel Yeshaneh ETH/1991 65:46
Ababel Yeshaneh is an allround athlete who combines track and road races. She has represented Ethiopia at the 2013 World Championships in the 10.000m and at the 2016 Olympic Games in the 5000m. Early this year she set a personal best over the half marathon distance in Turkey where she ran 69:36. Last year in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon Ababel came a strong 2nd in a competitive race.
54. Worknesh Degefa ETH/1990 66:14
Worknesh Degefa is specialized in the half marathon and is very competitive over this distance. She has an impressive career so far, as she has been running 25 half marathon in the past four years, and finished 18 times in top three position. She set her personal best of 66:14 last year in Prague and continued to win in Delhi. In 2017 this year she made her marathon debut on the fast and flat course of Dubai, and she stormed to victory in 2:22:36!

55. Zeineba Yimer ETH/1998 66:21
Zeineba comes from Wollo, a place 400km north of Addis Abeba. Zeineba started running at the age of 5 and later, after moving to Addis, further developed as an elite runner. Like many Ethiopian athletes Zeineba was inspired by Kenenisa Bekele to start running. After winning the Ethiopian trials in January 2018, Zeineba went on to take a fifth place at the World Half Marathon Championships in a new PB of 1:08:07. She improved on this performance last month by finishing 4thin the Copenhagen Half Marathon running 66:21.

56. Tejitu Daba BRN/1991 68:21
Ethiopian born Tejitu Daba competes for Bahrain and has won several medals at Asian championships for Bahrain. She ran 3000m, 5000m and 10.000m on the track for some years and made her road running debut in the 2015 TCS World 10k in Bangalore. This was the start of her road running career. She showed a good progression in 2017, running a personal best of 68:21 in the half marathon, followed by her marathon debut in Amsterdam.
Tejitu started running when she was inspired, she heard about the Dibabe sisters on the radio which inspired her to start running. Tirunesh Dibaba is her biggest example. Besides running, she likes to watch football. Tejitu is married to 2:05 marathoner Abera Kuma.

57. Stacy Ndiwa KEN/1992 69:09
Under the guidens of Italian coach Gabriele Nicola, Stacy this year developed really well snatching two major medals in both the Commonwealth Games and African Championships. She had a baby in 2015 which took her out of competing internationally for most of 2015 and the whole of 2016.

58. Failuna Matanga TAN/1992 69:36
Failuna has run many races in Brazil, and took victories in the Sao Paulo 10k, Rio de Janeiro Corida de Sao Sebastiao, Belo Horizonte half marathon and the Sao Paulo half marathon. In 2017 she finished 16th at the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala.
Failuna comes from the same region in Tanzania as 2017 Mumbai winner Alphonce Simbu.

60. Senbere Teferi ETH/1995 Debut
Senberi is a big soccer fan. Her husband is a former 100m/200m sprinter from Ethiopia. At the moment Senberi is building her dream home in Addis Ababa, a project which is hopefully done in the next two years. Over the past years she has always been a factor in track and field, now she is making her debut at the half marathon distance after making her marathon debut earlier this year.

61. Tsehay Gemechu ETH/1998 Debut
Tsehay started competitive running in 2014 in Ethiopia. She made her European debut last year in 2017 running the Paderborn Osterlauf 10km. This year she made a lot of progression over 10km and now turns her attention to the longer distances on the road. Her 31.07 from Tilburg last month ranks her 7th in the current 10km world rankings for 2018 and first non-Kenyan. 

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