Vivian Cheruiyot raised her hand to shield her eyes from the setting sun. The Kenyan distance runner looked around the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium with a smile on her face.
The 40-year-old is familiar with the national capital. It was at the venue 13 years ago that Cheruiyot led a Kenyan 5,000m sweep in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
It was that win which catapulted her into the top echelons of global distance running. Cheruiyot went on to win four Olympic medals, including a 5,000m gold in Rio 2016, and four World Championships gold medals (two each in 5,000m and 10,000m).
“I remember the first time I came to Delhi. I really loved my time here. It is a privilege to return. I love the country, the people, the culture. I missed coming here, so I am really happy to be back,” said Cheruiyot, who won three successive 5,000m Diamond League crowns from 2011 to 2013.
This time though, the four-time Olympian is here to take part in the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon. Sunday though will throw up a different challenge.
She is making a comeback after a break of two-and-a-half years following the birth of her second child in October 2021. “My last international competition was the 2020 London Marathon. But I have been training hard and getting ready and better. I have been planning this comeback for some time now so I am prepared to run. My girl turned two yesterday, so if I do well it will be a gift for my child.”
Cheruiyot’s pet events may be 5,000m and 10,000m but she is no newcomer to distance running, having won the 2018 London Marathon and finished second in the 2018 New York and 2019 London Marathons.
Asked if Delhi’s October heat will be an issue, she responded: “It is warm, even in the mornings, but the conditions are the same for everyone.”
The Kenyan, a senior figure in the field, will likely be challenged by the 10,000m Rio Olympics champion Almaz Ayana, who won the Delhi half marathon in 2017, and 2015 marathon world champion Mare Dibaba – both from Ethiopia.
In the men’s competition, the field will be led by defending champion Chala Regasa of Ethiopia and Kenyans Daniel Ebenyo, who won 10,000m silver at the Budapest World Championships, and Leonard Barsoton.
A total of 35,000 people are expected to line up on Sunday morning on one of the world’s fastest half-marathon courses. The total prize purse is $268,000 with the international elite winners taking home $27,000 each.
