Olympic and world champion David Rudisha was on Wednesday named brand ambassador of the 5th edition of the Airtel Delhi half marathon, that will be run in the capital on September 30.
Rudisha, who took the world by storm by setting a new world record while winning the 800m Olympic gold in London, will be in the capital from September 27 to promote the event. A record number of 31,746 participants have registered for the run, to be flagged off from Nehru Stadium.
Sending a message from Kenya, the young icon said, “I am honoured to be a part of it and encourage everyone to be a participant in whatever way possible. I am looking forward to my visit and my best wishes to the organisers, sponsors, runners, and most of all the city of Delhi.”
The event, with a prize purse of $210,000 and bonuses of $25,000 for a new world record and $10,000 for a course record, has once again attracted an elite field.
Leading the men’s field will be the world’s fastest half marathon of the year, Ethiopian Atsedu Tsegay, who aims to lower his own world record timing of 58.23s.
The 21-year-old recorded the time to win the Prague half marathon in March 2012.