Cheptegei, Azimeraw win World 25K Kolkata race

Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei underlined his mastery of the distance to win the 10th Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata men’s race while India’s Gulveer Singh and Seema rewrote the course records in their respective elite categories  on Sunday. Ethiopia’s Degitu Azimeraw produced a clinical performance to dethrone defending champion Sutume Asefa Kebede to win the international elite women’s race. Two-time Olympic champion Cheptegei 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 his 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. “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,” Cheptegei said.

Running the Kolkata course for the third time, Azimeraw broke away decisively and led from start to finish, clocking 1:19:36 in the women’s race. Sutume settled for second in 1:20:28, while Meselech Alemayehu completed an Ethiopian clean sweep in 1:20:48. “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,” Azimeraw said. The Indian elite races, however, provided the most compelling narratives of the day.

Gulveer delivered a statement run, slicing more than two minutes off his own Indian course record. With smooth, fluid strides, Gulveer surged to the front of the Indian pack early, briefly mixing it with the international elite before powering home in 1:12:06. He eclipsed the previous mark of 1:14:10, set by himself in 2024. Harmanjot Singh (1:15:11) and Sawan Barwal (1:15:25) followed him onto the podium. Gulveer ran the race on a different level from the beginning.

He always had a minute over his closest competitor from the 15 km mark; it steadily progressed to a difference of two minutes, and by the time he crossed the 21.1 km mark, he was at 01:00:58, to Harmanjot’s 01:03:17. “Records aren’t created just like that. They come from consistency. With strong support, dedicated coaches, and relentless training, the only goal is to be better than yesterday. I don’t believe in fixing ceilings for myself. Diet, workout, and rest is all I do,” Gulveer said Equally emphatic was Seema’s triumph in the Indian elite women’s category.

Running with controlled aggression and visible confidence, last year’s Asian Cross-country Champion stopped the clock at 1:26:04, breaking the long-standing Indian course record of 1:26:53 set by Suriya L in 2017. The margin of victory told its own story as Sanjivani Jhadav finished second in 1:30:34, more than four minutes adrift, with Nirmaben Thakor third in 1:32:02. “I am very happy to have been able to set the course record here, but had the course been like it was previously, I think I could have done better.

Now my target is to qualify for the Asian and Commonwealth Games next year,” Seema said. USA’s two-time Olympic medallist Kenny Bednarek, (second left), gold medallist Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, (second right), silver medallist Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Siumbu, (left), and bronze medallist Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana after the International men’s elite category race at the 10th Tata Steel Kolkata 25K event in Kolkata, West Bengal.