India, Oct. 18 -- Kenya's Charles Matata shattered the course record to win the men's elite race at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on Sunday, while Ethiopia's Wudinesh Alemu claimed the women's title as nearly 40,000 people turned out for the event in the national capital.

Matata completed the 21.097-km race in 58 minutes and 52 seconds, improving the previous course record of 58:53 set by Ethiopia's Amedework Walelegn in 2020 by one second. The performance also marked a personal best for the Kenyan, who had clocked 59:15 at the Riga Half Marathon in Latvia in May.

"I came to Delhi well prepared, having maintained my fitness," Matata said after the race.

The 29-year-old said favourable weather conditions and his familiarity with the c...