Tebello ramakongoana

Alphonce Felix Siumbu: While Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei underlined his mastery of the distance in the international elite men’s race, the day truly belonged to India’s Gulveer Singh and Seema, both of whom rewrote the course records in their respective elite categories at the World 25K marathon, here on Sunday.

Cheptegei, the double Olympic champion, stamped his authority early, dictating the pace from the flag-off and never relinquishing control. He crossed the line in 1:11:49 to win his maiden title, finishing ahead of Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Siumbu (1:11:56) and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana (1:11:59) in a tightly contested podium finish. Though he fell short of the course record of 1:11:13 set by Daniel Simiu Ebenyo in 2023, Cheptegei’s composed and commanding run reaffirmed his stranglehold over the event. For a major part of the race, the trio kept in a close pack with nothing separating them at the 15 km or 20 km mark. But Joshua, at par with others at 01:00:49 at the 21.1 km half-marathon distance, pulled away the last four kilometres to leave his stamp on the course.

Joshua Cheptegei said, “Winning mattered more than the record for me. Coming back to Kolkata and winning is special for me. I have won in Bangalore, and this was a big race with world-class athletes. This victory gives me confidence and positivity as I prepare for my next marathon.”