Alemu Sets World U20 Half Marathon Best With Delhi Victory
Ethiopian 19-year-old clocks 1:06:35 to break compatriot Azimeraw’s record by 12 seconds
Ethiopia’s Wudinesh Alemu set a World U20 best in the half marathon with a stunning 1:06:35 performance to win the women’s race at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon on October 18.
The 19-year-old achieved the milestone in only the second half marathon of her career, improving the previous mark of 1:06:47 set by compatriot Degitu Azimeraw in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, in 2018.
Alemu’s performance added another landmark to the history of the World Athletics Gold Label Road Race in the Indian capital, which has attracted leading international distance runners and produced notable performances in both the men’s and women’s events.
Azimeraw had also won the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata in 2017, a few weeks before setting the previous World U20 half marathon best in Ras Al Khaimah.
The Kolkata race continues to feature prominently in the world’s best performances over 25km, with Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo holding the men’s mark of 1:11:13 and Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa the women’s record of 1:18:47, both set in 2023.
The Delhi Half Marathon has previously produced other outstanding performances among young distance runners. Yalemzerf Yehualaw, winner of the 2020 women’s race, clocked 1:04:46, the second-fastest performance in the world that year.
In 2017, Ethiopia’s Andamlak Belihu finished second in the men’s race in 59:51, a time that topped the World U20 list for the season. Similarly, Melal Siyoum, who finished second in the women’s race in 2025, ranked second on the year’s U20 list.
Alemu’s record-breaking performance continued that trend, underlining the Delhi race’s role as a platform for emerging Ethiopian distance-running talent.
The teenager also revealed that she hopes to progress to marathon running in the coming years, signalling ambitions beyond the half marathon after her record-setting victory.
