A total of 28,000 running places will be on offer for the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon 2009 and registrations for the same opened on August 27, , 2009. Registrations will close on October 4, 2009 or as soon as running places for each race category is filled, whichever is earlier.

The Half Marathon: The feature event of the day will be the open half marathon, to be run over 21.097 kms. The event has always attracted a world class field, a claim backed by the super fast winning times. In 2008, led by Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga, the top three men’s finishers broke the one-hour mark and also the course record. Merga finished in 59.15, followed by Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang in 59.16 and Wilson Chebet in 59:34.

The flat course of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon is conducive for fast timings and with the cool weather that prevails in the capital city in November, there is every possibility of the existing record being broken again.

Competing against world class performers and for a separate prize fund has also improved Indian performances, with Sandeep Kumar clocking 1:04.48 in 2008 to lead the first ten Indian finishers inside of the 2007 mark of 1:06.09 set by Ram Singh Yadav.

The half marathon will also have veteran and senior veteran categories for men and women. The age limit for the open category is 18 years and above as on 31-10-2009, while the veteran category will be open to men 45 years and above and women 40 years and above. The senior veterans category will be open to men 55 years and above and women 50 years and above.

Senior Citizen’s Run: This race will be run over 4.3 kms. The event is open to persons 60 years and above with no upward age limit.

Wheelchair Event: This event will be for the physically handicapped and will also be over 4.3 kms.

The Great Delhi Run: The event that will involve the entire city will be the Great Delhi Run, which will be run over a distance of 7 km. This race, open to persons 12 years and above, will be the platform for people from all walks of life and different age groups to come together and celebrate the spirit of life. The Great Delhi Run will also be the vehicle driving charity, with individuals raising money for causes of their choice through the various charity initiatives.

Free Training Packages: Reebok is the official Training and Sportswear partner of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon and will be offering free scientific and organized training to every running enthusiast who harbors hopes of challenging one's self to run in and complete the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon.

Reebok India, through their certified Reebok India trainers, will be offering free training beginning August 31, 2009 at five locations, namely Lodhi Garden, Nehru Park, G K Jahapana Park, Buddha Park and Leisure Valley, Gurgaon.

To start with, the training sessions will be morning batches between 6 am and 7 am thrice a week (Monday, Thursday and Sunday) and depending on the response are prepared to increase the training session to four times a week in the morning and evening. Training enrolment forms will be available across all Reebok stores. For further details on training packages please contact trai...@gmail.com

The charity initiative of the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon in 2009 will be driven by Concern India Foundation, the Charity Partner since 2008. Started in 1991, Concern India Foundation is a non-profit, public charitable trust that supports development-oriented organisations working for the disadvantaged. Concern India Foundation reaches out to more than 120 programs through its offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata and Pune.