ETHIOPIAN RUNNERS Tadu Abate Deme and Yeshi Kalayu Chekole delivered commanding performances to win the men’s and women’s elite races respectively at the 21st edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race. The top three finishers in each elite category earned prize money of USD 50,000, USD 25,000 and USD 15,000 respectively.
For Chekole, the victory marked her first career win at a major marathon, despite competing over the distance since 2019. The 28-year-old executed her race plan with precision, staying composed through the early stages before finishing strongly, just as she had outlined during pre-race media interactions.
Chekole said, “I am very happy to be the Champion today. I came here expecting to break the course record, but I was a little shaky in the weather. However, I am very happy with the result. I felt strong and positive throughout, especially on both the uphill and downhill sections.”
In the men’s elite marathon, Kenya’s Leonard Kiprotich Langat engaged in an intense contest with last year’s runner-up Merhawi Kesete of Eritrea and Deme from the opening kilometres. Deme and Langat traded the lead until the 40 km mark, before the Ethiopian surged ahead in the final kilometre. Deme crossed the finish line in 2:09:55, with Langat following 15 seconds later to claim second place.
Deme shared, “I am delighted to win this race and grateful to the organisers for the competition, and for all our partners. The hills were tough, but once I settled into the rhythm after the halfway point, I focused on conserving energy and choosing the right moments. My body felt in good condition, and I am glad to be here in Mumbai and to win the race”.
With this result, Ethiopians secured both the men’s and women’s elite titles at the Tata Mumbai Marathon for the seventh time.
Indian elite performances
Sanjivani Jadhav, a familiar name in Indian distance running for over a decade, enjoyed a memorable debut over the marathon distance. She clocked 2:49:02 to finish tenth overall among women and emerged as the top Indian female runner. She said, “I’m really happy, I feel amazing. This was my first time running a marathon, and I won. After 35 km, I knew I was going to win gold.”
In the men’s Indian elite category, Kartik Karkera produced a breakthrough performance in just the second marathon of his career. Training in Russia, Karkera had entered the race with a modest personal best of 2:30:30 from the Moscow Marathon last year. He stunned the field by finishing in 2:19:55, setting a new personal best and claiming the Top Indian Male runner’s title. Karkera said, “This was my first marathon in Mumbai, and it feels great to win on my debut. I had to push through the challenging course, but I enjoyed being here in Mumbai and participating in this special race. My next goal is to qualify for the Asian Games.”
The top three finishers in both the Indian Elite men’s and women’s categories received prize money of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively.
