Cheptegei makes 25K debut as Kebede defends title in landmark Kolkata race

Double Olympic and triple World Champion Joshua Cheptegei will headline the landmark 10th edition of the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata 2025, with Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede returning to defend her crown.

The race will see more than 23,000 runners from across the globe converge on the City of Joy on Sunday, 21st December, underscoring its reputation as the first World Athletics Gold Label Road Race over the 25K distance.

This year’s edition carries added incentive with a USD 25,000 bonus for any athlete who breaks the world record of 1:11:08, inspired by Kolkata’s history of fast timings.

The event also offers a total prize purse of USD 142,214, with equal rewards for men and women. The top three finishers will earn USD 15,000, USD 10,000, and USD 7,000 respectively, alongside an Event Record Bonus of USD 5,000.

Cheptegei, 29, is making his debut over the 25K distance in Kolkata. The Ugandan star has already won three consecutive World titles in the 10,000m and holds four world records, including the 5K and 10K on the road.

His 5000m and 10000m track records still stand, and he arrives in Kolkata fresh from victories at the Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon last year and the TCS World 10K Bengaluru earlier this season.

‘India is one of my favourite destinations. I want to give my best in my maiden venture in Kolkata,’ said Cheptegei.

The Tata Steel World 25K has lived up to its #ADecadeOfDifference tagline, consistently attracting elite fields and producing world-class performances.

Just two years ago, Kolkata witnessed stand-alone world records in the 25K, set by Kenya’s Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (1:11:13) and Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede (1:18:47).

Kebede returns this year determined to defend her title and extend her dominance.

The men’s field promises fireworks, with Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu joining the fray. Simbu claimed a dramatic victory at the World Championships Marathon in Tokyo this September, edging Germany’s Amanal Petros by just three-hundredths of a second.

Ethiopian Haymanot Alew, who narrowly missed the podium in Kolkata in 2023 but later finished third at the 2024 Berlin Marathon in a stunning 2:03:31, will also be in contention. He is joined by Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana, runner-up at the Xiamen Marathon earlier this year, adding further depth to the competition.