Sutume Kebede and Stephen Kissa Triumph at World 25K Kolkata; Gulveer Singh Sets Course Record for India

Kolkata, Dec 15 (NationPress) Ethiopian Sutume Kebede retained the women's title, while Stephen Kissa of Uganda overcame defending champion Daniel Ebenyo from Kenya to claim the men's title in the ninth edition of the World 25K, recognized as the first World Athletics Gold Label Road Race at this distance, in the capital of West Bengal on Sunday.

Indian elite athletes also showcased remarkable performances, with Gulveer Singh establishing a new event record and Sanjeevani Jadhav clinching the women's title.

Over 20,500 runners participated in various categories, solidifying its status as one of the country's most celebrated races.

Kebede, who confirmed her participation just two weeks prior to the race, bounced back from a stomach issue just in time to defend her title with a finishing time of 1:19:17. Last year, she set the stand-alone World Best for 25K here with a time of 1:18:47. She kicked off 2024 with impressive personal bests in the half-marathon (1:04:37) and marathon (2:15:55) in Houston and Tokyo, respectively, making her the eighth fastest woman marathoner of all time.

Entering Kolkata with confidence and a desire to succeed, Kebede faced initial competition from Bahrain's Desi Jisa, the 2022 winner, and Kenyan Viola Chepngeno, who finished third in last year's Delhi half-marathon.

As the race progressed, the Kenyan runner began to slow down, allowing Kebede to emerge as the clear frontrunner after the 23K mark. Her winning time could have been even better had Chepngeno remained competitive for a longer duration. Nevertheless, Kebede concluded 2024 on a high note.

Chepngeno completed the race in second place with a time of 1:19:44, while Jisa finished third at 1:21:29.

"I am thrilled to win here once more. I aimed to break the course record but felt somewhat fatigued from travel. I am training for next year and will participate in the marathons," stated Kebede.

"I'm pleased with my second place finish. It was challenging to run here. Everyone was strong today. I gave it my all, and that brings me joy," expressed Viola, while Jisa added, "I'm delighted to be on the podium. Thanks to everyone for their support."

In the men's competition, Kissa redeemed himself after a five-year hiatus from international victories. Following two back-to-back disappointments as a non-finisher in the Tokyo Olympic Games (10,000m) and the Paris Marathon, as well as multiple second-place finishes, making it to the podium on his debut at 25K was a significant achievement for the Ugandan.

The race commenced with a brisk chill in the air, and as dawn broke in Kolkata, the leading group comprising Ebenyo, Benson Kipruto, Kissa, and Haymanot Alew crossed the 10K mark at 28:42, albeit slightly behind their anticipated pace.

Defending champion Ebenyo maintained a strong presence in the men's race, running closely alongside Kissa throughout, with their positions frequently swapping but never straying far from one another. The Kenyan, who had previously set a stand-alone World Best for 25K (1:11:13) in the prior year's race, aimed to enhance his time in this edition.

They reached the 15K mark at 42:56, approximately 30 seconds faster than anticipated, with Ebenyo and Kissa still leading. However, Kipruto fell behind as Kissa surged ahead at the 20K mark, clocking 57:50, with Ebenyo close behind.

However, Kissa lost focus in the final two kilometers. Instead of monitoring the clock, he concentrated on distancing himself from the Ugandan runner. Nonetheless, Kissa maintained his composure and sprinted to the finish to secure the men's title in 1:12:33, taking home the $15,000 prize.

Ebenyo crossed the finish line four seconds later, while Anthony Kipchirchir surprised everyone by claiming the bronze in 1:12:55.

"I am really delighted. India is a wonderful country. This is my third visit here. While running, I believed we could achieve the world record. I had two options: aim for first place or follow the leading group. After the first 2 km, I felt my body responding well, so I ran with the leaders. I realized I was performing well today. By the last kilometer, I was comfortable, and I knew I could accomplish it," Kissa shared after winning the 25K.

Gulveer Singh from India consistently breaks national records across all distance events. He has improved national records in the 5000m and 10,000m twice this year. The bronze medalist from the Guangzhou Asian Games, who recently became the Asian cross-country champion just eight weeks ago, is now focusing on road running.

Sawan Barwal, the 2023 Asian half-marathon bronze medalist, initially led Gulveer in a significant portion of the race. In the international category, Gulveer broke away from Sawan and sprinted to finish first, also recording another Indian Best at this distance with a time of 1:14:10.

Sawan followed closely with a time of 1:14:11, just behind the leader. Gaurav Mathur finished third among Indian runners.

"I am in great shape and thought we could break the course record. We trained together and pushed each other. After 12 km, we faced some traffic, which cost us some time, but we made up for it. I am very pleased to win," stated Gulveer.

"We receive substantial support. The AFI has provided us with excellent coaching from the USA. We also have opportunities to travel abroad, which has helped to bridge the gap with elite international runners. We are now preparing for the Asian and World Championships," he added regarding closing the gap with international elites.

"The conditions were better this time. We aimed to break the course record, and we succeeded. We are thrilled to achieve this. I did my best to win, but Gulveer was exceptional today," Sawan remarked.

Sanjivani Jadhav, a favorite among female runners in the country, returned to Kolkata after her previous strong finish in 2022. Kavita Yadav initially challenged her before allowing Sanjivani to run a solo race. The 28-year-old runner improved her personal best by over 5 minutes, finishing in 1:29:08.

Lili Das (1:30:58) and Kavita Yadav (1:32:19) secured the next two positions among Indian women.

"I am very pleased to win here again. I practiced running a solo race, and this improvement of over 5 minutes in my personal best is significant. I have a personal coach, and this prize money is incredibly helpful. I am training hard for the Asian Championship and will give it my all. The World Championship uses a ranking system; competing abroad can help us qualify for participation," Sanjivani shared after her victory.

Overall International Men:

Stephen Kissa (Uganda) 1:12:33 ; Daniel Ebenyo (Kenya) 1:12:37; Anthony Kipchirchir (Kenya) 1:12:55; Benson Kipruto (Kenya) 1:13:25 ; Asbel Rutto (Kenya) 1:13:36 ; Hillary Mosop (Kenya) 1:13:56 ; Dejene Hailu (Ethiopia) 1:14:10 ; Gulveer Singh (India) 1:14:10; Sawan Barwal (India) 1:14:11 ; Rodgers Murei (Kenya) 1:15:37.

Overall International Women:

Sutume Kebede (Ethiopia) 1:19:17 ; Viola Chepngeno (Kenya) 1:19:44; Desi Jisa (Bahrain) 1:21:29; Alemaddis Eyayu (Ethiopia) 1:21:42 ; Degitu Azimeraw (Ethiopia) 1:22:16; Misgane Alemayehu (Ethiopia) 1:24:40 ; Sintayehu Lewetegn (Ethiopia) 1:28:26 ; Sanjeevani Jadhav (India) 1:29:08 ; Lili Das (India) 1:30:58; Kavita Yadav (India) 1:32:19.

Indian Men:

Gulveer Singh 1:14:10 (NEW COURSE RECORD) ; Sawan Barwal 1:14:11 ; Gaurav Mathur 1:16:59 ; Abhishek Pal 1:19:00 ; Mohd Aleem 1:19:00 ; Hemant Singh 1:19:02 ;Kartik Jayraj Karkera 1:19:03; Nikhil Singh 1:19:07 ; Mayangam Lung Leng 1:19:10 ; Manoj Kumar 1:19:38.

Indian Women:

Sanjeevani Jadhav 1:29:08; Lili Das 1:30:58 ; Kavita Yadav 1:32:19 ; Nirmaben Bharatjee Thakor 1:35:14 ; Bhagirathi 1:36:17 ; Sanghamitra Mahata 1:38:22 ; Shyamali Sing 1:39:45 ; Madina Paul 1:40:54.

Vijay Diwas Trophy:

Indian Army 1 (Anand Singh Rawat, Manjit Singh, Hardeep Singh) 4:08:52; Indian Army 2 (Bheem Singh, Dattatray Mahadev Tambe, Manoj Joshi) (4:10:37); Indian Army 3 (Vagaram Prajapati, Pintu Sharma, Banee Singh) (4:13:33).

Police Cup Winners:

Police Cup Men Team 39 (Joydev, Rishikesh, Manas) 1:47:53; Police Cup Men Team 54 (Md Wazed, Rabindranath, Prasanta) 2:05:06 ; Police Cup Men Team 66 (Ardhendu, Kousik, Amresh) 2:07:38.

Police Cup Women Team 7 (Mallika, Sabina, Jasmina) 2:20:01; Police Cup Women Team 8 (Puja, Moumita, Tanushree) 2:48:17; Police Cup Women Team 11 (Madhumita, Jayashree, Priyanka) 3:57:07