Ebenyo and Kebede return to defend their Tata Steel World 25k crown
Defending champions Daniel Ebenyo (Kenya) and Sutume Kebede (Ethiopia) will return to defend their titles in the world’s first World Athletics Gold Label 25k Race, Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, which is scheduled to hold on Sunday, 15 December.
The current event record in the Men’s category is also held by Daniel Ebenyo, with a timing of 1:11:13, and the Women’s record is held by Sutume Kebede, with a timing of 1:18:47.
#AamarKolkataShonarKolkata will witness some of the world’s best athletes take centre stage at the US $142,214 prize money race.
With equal prize money for the men and women winners, the top three winners each stand to win $15000, $10000, and $7000, respectively.
The runners will be further incentivized by an Event Record Bonus of US $5,000.
The women’s line-up for 2024 also includes Desi Jisa from Bahrain, who won the 2022 edition here. Jisa was part of the Bahraini team that took a bronze medal in the World Cross
country Championships in 2017 and placed second in the recent Doha (2023) and Seoul (2024) marathons.
“I am always eager to run again in Kolkata and am happy to be part of the Tata Steel World 25K in 2024,” said Jisa, returning here after a year’s absence.
Another past champion in Kolkata (2017), Degitu Azimeraw, hails from Jisa’s native nation, Ethiopia.
Earlier this year, she won the Barcelona Marathon, clocking 2:19:52. She made an incredible comeback to place sixth in the recent edition of the Chicago Marathon in October after a baby pause, and she will be another notable runner to watch in Kolkata.
Her country-mate Alemaddis Eyayu, the winner in this year’s Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, is making her debut in 25K.
Kenyan Viola Chepngeno, who finished third in Delhi last year, and Ethiopia’s cross-country World bronze medalist Shintayehu Lewetegn confirmed their entries.
Early this year, Kebede improved her personal bests in the half marathon (1:04:37) and marathon (2:15:55) to take initial world leads in both events in 2024. It set the tone for faster
timing and a keen contest among women runners.
