Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2025: Gulveer Singh, Abhishek Pal, and Lily Das Lead India’s Elite Challenge at Landmark 20th Edition

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New Delhi, October 10, 2025: India's finest distance runners are all set to make their mark in the landmark 20th edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, one of the most prestigious road races in Asia.

Leading the Indian elite field are Asian double gold medallist Gulveer Singh, former champion Abhishek Pal, Kiran Matre, and defending women's champion Lily Das, who are all eyeing strong performances against a formidable international line-up.

Making his debut at the event, Gulveer Singh enters the race on the back of a stellar season that saw him clinch double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships and narrowly miss a historic 5000m final berth at the World Athletics Championships 2025 in Tokyo by just 0.19 seconds.

Reflecting on his journey, Gulveer said, "It has been a demanding year of continuous training. I have been competing a lot with elite athletes, and it's about how well your body responds on the day. I don't think about records; my aim is to perform well. Many legends have competed here, and I'm excited to join that list."

In the Indian Elite Women's category, defending champion Lily Das (1:18:12) is focused on retaining her title. Confident yet realistic, she said, "I am feeling good and will aim for a win. It's a challenging line-up, and I believe the timings will reflect the quality of the competition."

Former winner Abhishek Pal, who claimed the top spot in 2023, expressed optimism about the group's prospects. "With Gulveer in the race, we hope to come close to the 60-minute mark and push each other to get there. It's been a long season, but the weather conditions should help with speed," he said, adding, "Road races are a great way to test endurance and assess our fitness before a new season."

Kiran Matre highlighted the motivation drawn from racing against top international runners. "My focus will be on staying close to the leading group. The presence of some of the world's fastest runners is a great motivator, and I'll aim to match and even challenge them."

Making her debut, Ankita Dhyani, India's 2000m national steeplechase record holder, emphasized the mental aspect of high-level competition. "Training is as mental and emotional as physical. Competing internationally has taught me that balance. Indian running is progressing well, and races like this help us close the gap with the world's best."

The 20th edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon promises to be a landmark event, bringing together India's finest endurance athletes and world-class competition on one of the fastest road-running courses in the world.

Indian Elite Athletes – Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon 2025

Men’s Elite Field

Women’s Elite Field