Tata Steel Kolkata 25K Hosts Global Champions

Kenyan and Ethiopian World Champions to Compete in Kolkata’s Elite 25K Race

The Tata Steel Kolkata 25K race welcomes world champions Daniel Simiyu Ebenyo and Yalemzerf Yehualaw, setting the stage for a high-stakes competition with a $100,000 prize pool.

KOLKATA – The Tata Steel Kolkata 25K, an esteemed World Athletics Elite Label Road Race and one of India’s premier running festivals, is set to feature a star-studded lineup including world champions Daniel Simiyu Ebenyo from Kenya in the men’s category and Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw in the women’s division.

Ebenyo, a silver medalist in both the 10,000m and half marathon at this year’s world championships, will be making his debut at the 25-kilometer distance in this race.

Yehualaw, holding the 10K world record with a time of 29:14, is a formidable competitor and the youngest female winner of the London Marathon in 2022.

The race, branded as #AamarKolkataAamarRun, features equal prize money for the top three finishers in both men’s and women’s events, with sums of $7500, $5000, and $3500, along with an Event Record Bonus of US $3,000.

Leonard Barsoton and Desi Jisa currently hold the course records for the men’s and women’s events, respectively.

Yehualaw’s key rivals include Kenya’s Betty Chepkemoi Kibet and Anchinalu Dessie, along with Uganda’s Mercyline Chelangat and Ethiopia’s Emebet Niguse.

In the men’s field, Ebenyo faces competition from his countrymen Roncer Kipkorir Konga and Bernard Biwott, both with sub-60 minute half marathon bests, and Eritrea’s Hiske Tewelde, a multiple-distance running expert.

Vivek Singh, Joint MD of Procam International, emphasized the significance of the event, noting its role in elevating standards for Indian distance runners by exposing them to world-class athletes.

The event, scheduled for December 17, 2023, along the Hooghly River, is anticipated to break new records and further establish the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K as a major global running event.

Elite Field for the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K 2023

Men

Daniel Ebenyo (Kenya)

Eric Kiptanui (Kenya)

Roncer Konga (Kenya)

Bernard Biwott (Kenya)

Abe Gashahun (Ethiopia)

Victor Kipruto Togom (Kenya)

Hiskel Tewelde (Eritrea)

Afewerki Berhane (Eritrea)

Jackson Kipleting (Kenya)

Mulugeta Debasu (Ethiopia)

Victor Chumo (Kenya) (Pacer)

Women

Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Ethiopia)

Anchinalu Dessie (Ethiopia)

Betty Chepkemoi Kibet (Kenya)

Sutume Asefa Kebede (Ethiopia)

Mercyline Chelangat (Uganda)

Tsige Haileslase (Ethiopia)

Aberash Minsewo (Ethiopia)

Emebet Niguse (Ethiopia)

Nelly Jeptoo (Kenya)

Luuk Maas (Netherlands) (Pacer)