A packed field of more than 23,000 runners from around the globe is set to light up Kolkata on December 21, as the Tata Steel World 25K enters its landmark 10th edition. Leading the elite field are Uganda’s two-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time World Champion Joshua Cheptegei and defending women’s champion Sutume Asefa Kebede, both aiming to elevate their global rankings.
Inspired by Kolkata’s history of producing exceptional timings, the organisers have announced a USD 25,000 bonus for any athlete who breaks the world record of 1:11:08. This edition, with a prize purse of USD 142,214, promises intense competition. The top three finishers in both the men’s and women’s races will earn USD 15,000, USD 10,000, and USD 7,000, respectively, with an additional USD 5,000 on offer for setting a new event record.
Cheptegei, 29, the reigning king of the 10,000 m with three straight World Championship titles and four world records (including the road 5K and 10K), is preparing for his first-ever 25K challenge. Fresh off major wins at last year’s Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon and this year’s TCS World 10K Bengaluru, the Ugandan star expressed enthusiasm about testing himself in Kolkata.
“India is one of my favourite destinations. I want to give my best in my maiden venture in Kolkata,” said Cheptegei. Kolkata’s last decade of hosting the event has seen a steady rise in elite performances. In 2022, the city witnessed stand-alone world records in both categories, courtesy of Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (1:11:13) and Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede (1:18:47).
The men’s field this year is stacked with world-class talent. Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu, fresh from a dramatic victory at the World Championships Marathon in Tokyo, where he edged out Germany’s Amanal Petros by just three-hundredths of a second, is expected to be Cheptegei’s strongest challenger.
Two more prominent African athletes will add to the intensity. Ethiopia’s Haymanot Alew, who narrowly missed the podium in Kolkata last year before storming to a 2:03:31 third-place finish at the 2024 Berlin Marathon, and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana, runner-up at this year’s Xiamen Marathon, will be among the top contenders.
Asefa returns for a hat-trick challenge
On the women’s side, Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede is gearing up for her third appearance in Kolkata. Asefa, who broke the 25K world record in Berlin in 2015 and rewrote it again in Kolkata in 2023, is eyeing a memorable hat-trick.
Her compatriot and 2017 Kolkata champion Degitu Azimeraw is back to reclaim the crown, while Ugandan Olympic finalist Sarah Chelangat, winner of the 2024 TCS World 10K Bengaluru, and Kenya’s Agnes Keino will look to disrupt Ethiopian dominance.
Asefa arrives after a mixed season, triumphing at the Tokyo Marathon but finishing 27th at the World Championships on the same course. Kolkata offers her a chance to close the year on a high.
“I am thrilled to make my third appearance in Kolkata. With an exciting field to challenge me this time, I will be expecting to improve my timings this year,” said Kebede.