Delhi Half Marathon: Defending champ Benti eyes course record

New Delhi – Airtel Delhi Half Marathon’s defending champion Lelisa Desisa Benti of Ethiopia is aiming to break the course record here Sunday in the elite men’s category.

Benti clocked his personal best 59.30 minutes last year winning the 21-km race in November. But this time the 22-year-old is chasing the course record of 59.15 set in 2008 by compatriot Deriba Merga.

“I will aim to smash the course record and in the process I will also try to go for the world record. It will be tough but let’s see. A lot depends on the temperature and conditions on Sunday,” said Benti here Thursday.

There is an added incentive too for breaking the course record. Apart from the regular earnings, a $10,000 prize money will be given for a new course record.

Benti had been training in Addis Ababa for the past few weeks and this will be his first road race of the year.

Benti’s fellow competitor Chebii Ezekiel Kiptoo of Kenya is also a favourite to take the totle.

However, the 21-year-old Kenyan recently recovered from Typhoid and does not believe the illness will hamper his race. He is also planning to run the full marathon from 2013.

Ezekiel believes that the track record is very much within reach.

“My target is to get the track record. However, it will depend on that day whether the conditions will be good or not,” said the Kenyan.

Among the women, the Ethiopian challenge will be led by Aselefech Mergia who will be running her seventh Delhi Half Marathon in a row.

The 27-year-old won twice in 2008 and 2010 with a personal best timing of 1:08.1.

Kenyan Caroline Kilel, 31, who recovered from Malaria just five days ago, said that she will be in top condition by Sunday.

“I just needed 2-3 days to recover and I will try my best on Sunday.”

Caroline won the 2011 Boston Marathon and the 2010 Frankfurt Marathon.