At the 18th edition of the World 10K Bengaluru, a prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Race held on Sunday, April 27, 2025, Indian athletics delivered two headline performances — Sanjivani Jadhav claimed an extraordinary third consecutive title and her fifth overall crown, while Harmanjot Singh emerged as the fastest Indian man with a clocking of 29:13, just one second shy of the national event record.

Harmanjot Singh Leads Indian Men's Charge

Harmanjot Singh put up a gritty display at the World 10K Bengaluru, finishing as the top Indian male athlete with a time of 29:13. His effort narrowly missed the event record, which would have earned him an additional bonus of INR 1,00,000. He took home a prize purse of INR 3,00,000 for his dominant showing.

Karnataka's Shailesh Kushwaha crossed the line in 29:21 to claim second place on the Indian podium, while Deepak Bhatt rounded off the top three with a time of 29:52. Kushwaha credited running alongside the international elite pack as a key tactical decision that helped elevate his performance.

Reflecting on his race, Harmanjot said, "I had the event record in mind and tried to stay with the international elite pack as far as I could, which was till 5K. After that, I decided to rely on my own judgement."

Kushwaha echoed the value of pacing strategy: "My plan was to finish first or second. One key learning was that if you catch the front group, it really helps push you. I wanted to run with the Kenyan athletes, and that helped me finish on the Indian podium."

Sanjivani Jadhav's Historic Hat-Trick in Women's Race

Sanjivani Jadhav cemented her legacy at the World 10K Bengaluru by securing a third successive title and her fifth overall victory at the event, finishing in a time of 35:01. The seasoned Indian long-distance runner, who holds the event record, took home a prize of INR 2,75,000 for her commanding performance.

In a closely contested battle for the runner-up position, Soniya edged out Bhagirathi by a single second — 35:31 versus 35:32 — a significant improvement over Soniya's sixth-place finish from last year's edition.

Sanjivani spoke about her motivation: "My plan was to go for the event record. This is my third consecutive win here and I'm proud. I haven't been specifically training for road races, but this is one of my favourite cities to run. I am the event record holder, so I really wanted to take part."

Soniya, who nearly skipped this year's race, reflected on her turnaround: "I hadn't even planned to run; I almost didn't compete this year. Last year I didn't train well. This year I came in much better prepared. I definitely tried to catch Sanjivani, but I wasn't able to."

Rodrigue Kwizera Breaks International Men's Event Record

On the international stage, Rodrigue Kwizera of Burundi fulfilled a promise he made three years ago — returning to Bengaluru to win after narrowly losing in a photo finish. The 26-year-old, a 10,000m World Championships finalist at Budapest 2023, surged to the front at the 8th kilometer and never looked back, clocking a new event record of 27:31 — approximately 7 seconds faster than Kenya's Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli's mark set four years ago.

Kwizera earned a total of USD 34,000, including an event record bonus of USD 8,000. Uganda's 20-year-old Victor Kiplangat Kibet, who had clocked 26:39 in Spain earlier this year, finished second in 27:39. Kenya's Gilbert Kipkosgei Kiprotich, running just his second international 10K, took third place in 27:43.

Kwizera said after the race: "I am very happy to have won the race. The challenge was the heat. I have been training in Spain and it's much cooler this time of the year there. Today I told myself after 5K I will push. Yes, I wanted to go for the event record, so I am glad that I did it."

Florence Niyonkuru Wins Women's International Race on Debut

Rwanda's Florence Niyonkuru, aged 25, made a stunning debut in the 10K distance by winning the women's international elite race in 30:45. Running her maiden 10K, Niyonkuru led from the front and passed the 5K mark at 15:19, holding off a strong field that included defending champion Sarah Chelangat and Kenya's 20-year-old Brenda Jepchirchir, who had set a world lead of 29:25 at Valencia in January.

Jepchirchir finished second in 30:59, while Ethiopian Chaltu Dida Diriba — who had clocked 29:50 in Spain — made a strong final-kilometer push to claim third in 31:03.

Niyonkuru, who trains in Kenya, reflected: "The conditions were challenging, but I focused on the competition. I missed the event record. Maybe next year I can come back for it. After the half-marathon in Berlin, I got more confident about the 10K. That race was a confidence booster for me."

India's Road Running Ambitions on the Rise

The performances of Harmanjot Singh and Sanjivani Jadhav reflect a growing depth in Indian distance running, particularly on road circuits. Sanjivani's fifth title at a single World Athletics Gold Label event is a remarkable achievement by any global standard, underlining the consistency that Indian women's distance running is beginning to build. With the 2026 Asian Games and qualification cycles for major global events on the horizon, performances at marquee races like the World 10K Bengaluru will be crucial for selection and confidence-building among Indian athletes.

As the event continues to grow in stature, the World 10K Bengaluru remains one of India's most significant athletic platforms — and the 19th edition is already anticipated to bring fresh challengers and record attempts across all categories.