Tirunesh Dibaba and Joyciline Jepkosgei to Duel at Airtel Delhi Half Marathon

By Adam Kopet

Tirunesh Dibaba and Joyciline Jepkosgei are set to clash Sunday at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon, according to an IAAF preview.

Dibaba, of Ethiopia, enters the race coming off a third-place finish in last month's Berlin Marathon. Dibaba believes she has recovered from her 2:18:55 effort in Berlin and has her eyes set on winning.

Jepkosgei of Kenya, set the roads on fire in 2017, twice breaking the half marathon world record and also becoming the first woman to run under 30 minutes for 10 kilometers. She is looking to run a fast time in the Indian capital.

Dibaba and Jepkosgei have raced each other twice before. Jepkosgei finished third at the 2017 Ras Al Khaimah International Half Marathon and Dibaba placed fifth. This year, Dibaba won the Manchester Great 10K and Jepkosgei finished second, 49 seconds back.

The Delhi Half Marathon has a top prize of $27,000. The race continues to attract top runners, despite air pollution concerns.