Ethiopia's Yalemzerf Yehualaw has run the second-fastest women's half marathon ever in India.

The 21 year-old clocked one hour, four minutes and 46 seconds on Sunday at the Delhi Half Marathon.

She shaved one minute and 14 seconds off the event record, which was previously set by two-time defending champion Teshay Gemechu.

Yehualaw was up against world marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich, marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei, Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh and Gemechu.

Kosgei, who won the London Marathon in October, dropped out during the eighth kilometre and Chepngetich finished the race in second as Yeshaneh took third place.

Yehualaw’s previous personal best was 1:05:19 which she set at last month’s world half marathon championships in Gdynia.

Yeshaneh is the women's current half marathon record holder with a time of 1:04:31 which she set at Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates in February.

Yehualaw said after the race: "My training since the world championships told me that maybe I could break the course record as I ran 65:19 there, but this was more than I expected, and I hoped for a win here after just losing by a second a year ago.

“My plan was to push hard with two kilometres to go and that helped my fast time, and it was also very nice weather.”

In the men’s race, Ethiopia's Amdework Walelegn won in 58 minutes and 53 seconds and set a new event record by 13 seconds.