Kenya’s
The achievement marked a significant personal milestone for Matata, who improved upon his previous best of 59:15 set earlier this year. His performance was particularly impressive given the challenging conditions, with humidity levels hovering around 90 per cent and temperatures reaching 21 degrees Celsius. Matata, who finished second in the 2023 edition, walked away with a total prize purse of USD 39,000, which includes a USD 12,000 bonus for his record-breaking effort.
Elite Performances and Podium Finishes
The men’s elite podium was entirely dominated by Kenyan athletes. Samwel Nyamai Mailu secured second place with a time of 59:24, followed by Stanley Waithaka Mburu in 59:33. In the women’s elite category, Ethiopia’s
In the Indian elite categories, Shailesh Kushwaha triumphed in the men’s race with a time of 1:05:05, narrowly holding off Gaurav Mathur and Hemant Kumar. On the women’s side, Ankita Dhyani led a clean sweep for Uttarakhand athletes, finishing in 1:12:46, ahead of Soniya and Bhagirathi. Dhyani noted that while she was pleased with the result, she believes there is further potential for Indian women to challenge national records in the distance.
Event Context and Logistics
The 2026 edition of the World Athletics Gold Label race saw nearly 40,000 participants take to the streets of the national capital. The event proceeded with a revised route to accommodate ongoing security measures in central Delhi, bypassing areas such as Rail Bhawan and Sansad Marg. Despite the logistical adjustments, the race maintained its status as a premier sporting fixture, attended by dignitaries including Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani.
The event, which featured two-time Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo as the international event ambassador, offered a total prize purse of USD 275,732. For the local elite athletes, the podium finishes also carried significant domestic recognition, with the top three finishers in the Indian categories receiving tiered cash prizes ranging from Rs 1,50,000 to Rs 3,50,000.
