Running News Daily

The 10th edition of the Tata Steel World 25K delivered a compelling blend of experience and debut brilliance on Sunday (Dec 21) morning in Kolkata, India.  Ethiopia’s Degitu Azimeraw claimed a comeback victory in the women’s race, while Olympic and world champion Joshua Cheptegeiproduced a measured, authoritative win in his first-ever 25K appearance.

Azimeraw Returns to the Top

Run under cool conditions, the women’s race opened with a tightly packed Ethiopian quartet through the opening 5 km. Sutume Asefa Kebede—winner of this year’s Tokyo Marathon and a two-time defending champion in Kolkata—was the most decorated name in the group, joined by Azimeraw and Meselech Alemayehu.

Azimeraw, who won in Kolkata in 2017 and finished fourth the following year, stayed patient through the early stages. Alemayehu briefly edged ahead around 15 km, but Azimeraw responded decisively soon after, lifting the pace and asserting control.

She crossed the line in 1:19:36, securing her second Kolkata title eight years after her first. Kebede rallied late but had to settle for second in 1:20:28, with Alemayehu third in 1:20:48.

“It wasn’t the plan before for me,” Azimeraw said afterward. “My legs were a little stiff early, so I focused on staying strong. After 10 km, they felt better, and I kept building my race and speed. I’m very happy with this win.”

Cheptegei Delivers on 25K Debut

The men’s race unfolded as a tactical contest, led for much of the distance by Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana. Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu and Cheptegei shadowed closely as the leaders passed 20 km in 57:34 and the half-marathon mark in 60:49.

Cheptegei made his move soon after, breaking clear with a controlled surge that gradually opened daylight. Despite a determined late chase from Simbu, the Ugandan star held firm to win in 1:11:49, his first victory at the distance. Simbu followed in 1:11:56, with Ramakongoana third in 1:11:59.

“Winning mattered more than the record for me,” Cheptegei said. “Coming back to Kolkata and winning here is special. This victory gives me confidence and positivity as I prepare for my next marathon.”

Neither winner managed to break the world best or course record, narrowly missing out on the event’s top performance bonuses.

Indian Runners Rewrite the Record Books

India’s elite races provided some of the day’s most striking storylines. Gulveer Singh delivered a statement run, finishing sixth overall in 1:12:06 and slicing more than two minutes off his own Indian best of 1:14:10 set in 2024. His aggressive yet controlled effort left the rest of the domestic field trailing by significant margins.

“Records come from consistency,” Gulveer said. “With strong support, dedicated coaches, and relentless training, the goal is to be better than yesterday. India is rising, step by step.”

In the women’s Indian elite race, Seema matched that authority. The Asian cross-country champion stopped the clock at 1:26:04, breaking the long-standing Indian course record of 1:26:53 set in 2017. She dominated from early on, steadily increasing her lead before cruising home with energy to spare.

“The course is more challenging now, but I came here with the mindset of winning,” Seema said. “Discipline and sacrifice are everything. My next goal is qualifying for the Asian and Commonwealth Games.”

A Decade of World-Class Racing

As the Tata Steel World 25K celebrated its 10th edition, Sunday’s results reinforced its status as one of Asia’s premier road races—where Olympic champions, seasoned marathoners and rising national talents meet on equal footing. For Azimeraw and Cheptegei, Kolkata offered confidence and momentum; for India’s best, it marked another step forward on the global stage.

Overall International Men

1. Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) — 1:11:49

2. Alphonce Felix Simbu (TAN) — 1:11:56

3. Tebello Ramakongoana (LES) — 1:11:59

4. Collins Kipkorir (KEN) — 1:12:02

5. Gulveer Singh (IND) — 1:12:06

6. Fikadu Liche (ETH) — 1:12:09

7. Wisley Yego (KEN) — 1:12:12

8. Haymanot Alew (ETH) — 1:14:35

9. Niguse Abera (ETH) — 1:14:38

10. Harmanjot Singh (IND) — 1:15:11

Overall International Women

1. Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) — 1:19:36

2. Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) — 1:20:28

3. Meselech Alemayehu (ETH) — 1:20:48

4. Kuftu Tahir (ETH) — 1:23:32

5. Demilew Zemenaw (ETH) — 1:23:34

6. Netsanet Tafere (ETH) — 1:23:56

7. Rediet Daniel (ETH) — 1:24:18

8. Aberash Minsewo (ETH) — 1:24:48

9. Ergat Heshe (ETH) — 1:24:59

10. Seema (IND) — 1:26:04

Gulveer Singh has made history, becoming the first Indian to run the 5000 meters in under 13 minutes. At the Boston University Terrier DMR Challenge on February 21, he clocked 12:59.77, finishing fourth and securing qualification for the World Championships. This performance shattered the national record and set a new Asian benchmark in the event, cementing his place among the continent’s top distance runners.

Singh’s achievement comes on the heels of another record-breaking run. Just a week prior, he had rewritten India’s indoor 3000m record, running 7:38.26 to erase a 16-year-old mark. These performances mark a breakthrough for Indian distance running, demonstrating that athletes from the country can compete at the highest level on the global stage.

Born on June 1, 1998, in Sirsa village, Atrauli tehsil of Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh, Singh grew up in a farming family. At 17, he joined the Indian Army through the sports quota and became part of the Grenadiers Regiment, training at the regimental center in Jabalpur. His military career provided him with the discipline and structure to develop as an elite runner, and he quickly emerged as one of India’s top distance talents.

Singh first gained international recognition in 2023 when he won bronze in the 10,000 meters at the Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok. Later that year, he added another bronze at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, solidifying his reputation as a rising force in long-distance racing.

His latest performances have been fueled by high-altitude training in Colorado Springs, where he and other Indian athletes underwent a 10-week program in 2023. That preparation has clearly paid off, as Singh has now placed himself in the rarefied air of sub-13-minute 5000m runners—a feat that only a handful of athletes worldwide have achieved.

Breaking the 13-minute barrier is not just a personal milestone; it represents a major shift for Indian distance running. Singh’s success could open doors for more Indian athletes to aim for world-class times, proving that with the right training and opportunities, they can compete with the best.

With his qualification for the World Championships secured, Singh’s focus now shifts to competing on an even bigger stage. His record-breaking run in Boston signals that he is ready to challenge the world’s best, and as his trajectory continues upward, Indian athletics may have found its next great distance star.

With World 25K Kolkata becoming the world’s first Athletic Gold Label race at this distance, the Indian elite field has swelled with 27 men and 13 women vying for the honours along the picturesque setting of the Red Road on December 15.

The USD 142,214 prize money race will witness some of India’s best athletes take centerstage. With equal prize money for the Indian elite men and women winners, the first three in each race stand to win Rs 3,00,000, 2,50,000, and Rs 2,00,000 respectively. The Indian elite men and women runners will also be further incentivised by an event record bonus of Rs 1,00,000 each.

Avinash Sable holds the current event record in the Indian elite men’s category, with a time of 1:15:17, and L Suriya holds the women’s record, with a time of 1:26:53.

The well-stocked men’s field will be led by the current sensation Gulveer Singh, who is in the midst of a purple patch. He is the current 5000 m (13:11:82) and 10,000 m (27:14:88) national record holder, and has also won a gold medal at the 17th Asian Cross-Country Championship 2024 held in Hong Kong recently. He is also the Asian Games 2022 bronze medallist in the 10,000 m.

Sawan Barwal, the defending champion (1:17:49), returns to Kolkata after winning Delhi Half Marathon 2024 along with Abhishek Pal, the winner of the 2022 edition of TSK 25K. He also won a silver medal at the recently concluded Asian Cross-Country Championship and DHM 2023. The men’s challenge will also see Kiran Matre looking to be a dark horse with a top-of-the-podium finish in World 10K Bengaluru 2024 with a new Indian Course Record. He came third at DHM 2024.

While recounting his recent exploits Gulveer Singh said, “The 2024 session was very good for me. I set four national records in this session, and I’m so motivated. International standards are very high as compared to India. We got a pacer there to do our best. This is my first time in World 25K and I will try to finish in the top three.”

Sanjeevani Jadhav will be the pre-race favourite in the women’s field. She recently won the World 10K Bengaluru 2024 and also earned a silver medal at the Asian Cross-Country Championship. She was also the winner of the 2022 edition (1:34:23) of TSK 25K. She is in red hot form, but she will get tough competition from Lilli Das, who won the DHM 2024. Kavita Yadav, winner of DHM 2023 and second at DHM 2024, will be no pushover either.

“I am well prepared for the World 25K Race. The 2024 year was good for me individually, but I am more focused on 2025 because I am preparing for the Asian and World Championships, and I want to do my best in these championships.

“TSW 25K is more important because we get a chance to compete with the world’s best athletes, and it’s a great opportunity to give our best performance individually and do my personal best in the race. This year, I will try to break the course record my senior colleague L Suriya made earlier,” Sanjeevani said.

With a bright line-up of athletes only one can imagine the competition in store when the flag waves on Sunday.

Asian Games silver medalist in the 10,000m race Kartik Kumar and Defending Champion Sanjivani Jadhav will headline the Indian elite athletes in the men’s and women’s categories at the 18th Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race. The event will be held here on Sunday, October 15.

Kartik Kumar, who is a very successful 10,000m runner, recorded his personal best (1:04:00) at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon last year. He was also the runner-up at the TCS World 10K 2022, Bengaluru with a timing of 30:06. Kartik became the first Indian to win a medal in the 10,000m event at the Asian Games since Gulab Chand in 1998. Kartik’s compatriot Gulveer Singh won a Bronze in the same event.

Kartik, however, will face stiff competition from the winner of the Dhaka Half Marathon 2023 Abhishek Pal, the champion of the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023 Half Marathon Murali Kumar Gavit and National marathon winner Srinu Bugatha.

Experienced marathoners Kalidas Hirave and Durga Bahadur will also vie for a place on the podium in the Indian Elite Men’s category.

Meanwhile, Defending Champion Sanjivani Jadhav will lead the charge in the Indian Elite Women’s category. She recorded a timing of 77:53 in the last edition of the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon and also won the TSK 25K 2022. Moreover, Jadhav clinched the bronze medal in the 5000m event at the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships and triumphed in the 10,000m event at the National Federation Cup in 2022.

She will receive strong opposition from the winner of the TCS World 10K Bengaluru 2023 Tamshi Singh and the champion of the New Delhi Marathon 2019 and 2020 – Jyoti Gawate in the Indian Elite Women’s Race.

The USD 268,000 prize money will see tens of thousands of amateurs join the world’s best elites on one of the fastest courses in the world.