Ethiopian runners Tadu Abate Deme and Yeshi Kalayu Chekole celebrated impressive victories in the 21st Tata Mumbai Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, held today. The top three finishers received prize money of $50,000, $25,000, and $15,000 respectively.
This marked Yeshi Chekole’s first major marathon win, despite her participation in races of this distance since 2019. The 28-year-old executed her strategy as detailed in a pre-race media event, maintaining a relaxed demeanor and finishing powerfully.
Approximately a dozen Ethiopian women began the race together. Among them were last year’s third-place finisher Medina Deme Armino and Shure Demise, who entered the race with a personal best of 2:20:59 from eleven years ago in Dubai. Armino aimed for victory this year in the absence of last year’s top two finishers, Joyce Chepkemoi and Shitaye Eshete. Drawing on her experience with the Mumbai route from a prior race, Armino took the lead in the first half but eventually fell behind the leader, Kidsan Alema.
Yeshi stayed close to Kidsan and fellow countrywomen Gojjam Tesgaye and Birke Debele as they approached the final third of the race. She broke away a couple of kilometres from the finish, running solo to victory with a time of 2:25:13, the fifth-fastest recorded by a female winner in Mumbai.
“I am thrilled to be the Champion today. I had hoped to break the course record, but the weather made me a bit uneasy. Still, I’m pleased with the outcome. I felt strong and positive throughout, particularly on the climbs and descents,” Yeshi remarked following her win.
Kidsan mentioned that the support from spectators motivated her throughout the race. “Around the middle, I started to feel warm and fell slightly behind the leading pack,” she added.
In the Men’s Elite Marathon, Kenyan Leonard Kiprotich Langat was in a fierce contest with last year’s runner-up Merhawi Kesete of Eritrea and Tadu Abate right from the start. Uganda’s 2023 World Marathon Champion Victor Kiplangat and Ethiopian Gada Gemsisa were also in contention until the halfway point.
Abate and Langat traded the lead until the 40 km mark, with Kesete trailing by about 50 metres. In the final kilometre, Abate quickened his pace while Langat struggled to keep up. Abate crossed the finish line first in 2:09:55, with Langat finishing just 15 seconds later. Kesete secured third place with a time of 2:10:22.
With this win, the Ethiopians claimed both the men’s and women’s titles in Mumbai for the seventh time.
“It was a highly competitive and tactical race from start to finish. The course posed challenges, but it was well organised and the roads held up well,” Langat stated.
A delighted Tadu shared, “I am thrilled to win this race and thankful to the organisers and our partners for the competition. The hills were demanding, but after settling into my rhythm post-halfway, I concentrated on conserving energy and choosing the right moments. I felt strong throughout and am pleased to have won here in Mumbai.”
