RWANDA’S Dieudonne Disi is in for a tough battle this afternoon as he attempts to defend his Airtel Delhi half marathon in India.

Disi, 28 is part of a large field of international athletes expected to take part in the world’s richest half marathon whose top cash prize has been increased from $20,000 last year to $50,000.

"I have got to win this race after many months of intensive training. I have what it takes to win and I’m going to run for that gold medal,” Disi told Times Sport in an-email from France.

The best timing among the men in the elite athlete field is credited to Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga, whose personal best is 59.16 minutes, clocked at the 2007 IAAF World Road Race Championships in Udine, Italy.

The other names include defending champion Disi (59.32), 2008 Lile half marathon champion Tilahune Regassa of Ethiopia (59.36), and Tanzania’s Dickson Marwa (59.52).

In the ladies section, defending champion Deriba Alemu of Ethiopia will be contending with countrywoman Askale Tafa, silver medalist in the Berlin Marathon in September 2008.

A sixth place finisher at World Half Marathon Championships in 2007 and 2008, Disi has claimed an impressive collection of victories with a success in New Delhi and two successive wins in Reims during the last two years.

Last year, Disi created a new course record in the Vodafone sponsored Delhi Half Marathon.

Kenya’s Isaac Macharia (60:47) and world number three Wilson Kiprotich (62:03) finished second and third respectively.

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