An uphill battle beckons the likes of Simbu, Cheptegei and Kebede in Kolkata 25K

A hillier course, with a change of around 50% (comprising two bridges), will challenge a star-studded field, including reigning World marathon champion Alphonce Simbu, double Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei and defending women’s champion Sutume Kebede, in the 10th edition of the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata here on a cooler Sunday morning.

Simbu will be keen to assert his class, while Cheptegei, who has switched to marathons after drawing curtains on his track career, will look to bolster his reputation in road races in one of his favourite countries.

Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana, who placed seventh in the Paris Olympics, is ready for the World Athletics Gold Label race, offering a total prize money of $142,214 and an additional bonus of $25,000 for breaking the world record of 1:11.08.

Despite the more challenging course, Ethiopian Sutume Kebede is eager to accomplish a hat-trick of wins and claim an event record bonus of $5,000.

Sutume may be challenged by her compatriot and 2017 winner Degitu Azimeraw and Kenyan Agnes Keino.

Asian 5,000m and 10,000m champion Gulveer Singh and Sanjivani Jadhav will defend their men’s and women’s titles, respectively, in the Indian category. Other leading runners, such as Sawan Barwal, Abhishek Pal, Lili Das and Seema, will also be seen in action.

The event, with over 23,000 participants, will award ₹35,000, ₹25,000 and ₹10,000 to the top three amateur runners in men’s and women’s sections across different age groups. Sony Sports 1 HD and SD will show the event live from 5:30 a.m. onwards.