Bengaluru: On a chilly winter Sunday, the Tata Steel World 25K delivered a riveting spectacle as records tumbled, champions asserted their dominance and Indian distance running announced another leap forward. While Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei underlined his mastery of the distance in the international elite men’s race, the day truly belonged to India’s Gulveer Singh and Seema, both of whom rewrote the course records in their respective elite categories.
Cheptegei, the double Olympic champion, stamped his authority early, dictating the pace from the flag-off and never relinquishing control. He crossed the line in 1:11:49 to win is maiden title, finishing ahead of Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Siumbu (1:11:56) and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana (1:11:59) in a tightly contested podium finish. Though he fell short of the course record of 1:11:13 set by Daniel Simiu Ebenyo in 2023, Cheptegei’s composed and commanding run reaffirmed his stranglehold over the event. For a major part of the race, the trio kept in a close pack with nothing separating them at the 15 km or 20 km mark. But Joshua, at par with others at 01:00:49 at the 21.1 km half-marathon distance, pulled away the last four kilometres to leave his stamp on the course.
Joshua Cheptegei said, “Winning mattered more than the record for me. Coming back to Kolkata and winning is special for me. I have won in Bangalore, and this was a big race with world-class athletes. This victory gives me confidence and positivity as I prepare for my next marathon.”
In the international elite women’s race, Ethiopia’s Degitu Azimeraw produced a clinical performance to dethrone defending champion Sutume Asefa Kebede. Running the Kolkata course for the third time, Azimeraw, the winner here in 2017 and a fourth-placer a year later, broke away decisively and led from start to finish, clocking 1:19:36. Sutume settled for second in 1:20:28, while Meselech Alemayehu completed an Ethiopian clean sweep in 1:20:48. Despite Azimeraw’s victory, the course record remained with Sutume. In the women’s race, Degitu showed her intention to grab the course by its scruff and control it from the minute they flagged off. She always led the pack at the 10, 15 and 20 km marks by a good few seconds, but that turned into a minute’s difference by the 22 km mark, and when she won the race, she was a good 500 mts ahead of her closest competitor.
After the race, Degitu said, “It wasn’t the plan before for me. It was a little crazy. My legs were a little stiff, so I just focused on going strong. But after 10km, my legs got better, and then I continued to build my race and speed, and with that, I won. I am very happy.