The 2024 Barcelona Marathon runner-up Collins Kipkorir will be out to flex muscles against Uganda’s two-time Olympic champion Joshua Cheptegei and reigning world marathon king Alphonse Simbu of Tanzania when the trio face off in Kolkata 25km Road Race on Sunday.
The showdown has been made even fiercer by the mouth-watering Sh18.9 million prize purse.
“The landmark 10th edition will witness some of the world’s best athletes take centre stage as they battle for the US$142,214 prize money,” organisers said in a statement.
Winners in both the men’s and women’s races will pocket Sh1.9 million (US$15,000), with the second and third-place finishers taking home Sh1.3 million and Sh900,000 respectively.
There is also a tempting Sh650,000 bonus on offer for anyone who smashes the course record. The current marks stand at 1:11:13 in the men’s race, set by Kenya’s Daniel Simiu and 1:18:47 in the women’s category by Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede, both achieved in 2023.
Kipkorir heads into Kolkata on the back of a brilliant second-place finish at the Ljubljana Marathon on October 19, where he clocked 2:08:39 behind Ethiopia’s Haftamu Gebresilase (2:06:52).
This resurgence comes after a rocky spell earlier in the season, a DNF at the Daegu Marathon in February and a seventh-place finish at the Shanghai Half Marathon in 1:02:32.
However, the 24-year-old boasts strong road credentials, including victory at the 2024 Tallinn Half Marathon in 1:00:23 and a runner-up finish at the Riga Half Marathon, clocking 1:00:47 behind compatriot Samwel Mailu (1:00:21).
But Kipkorir won’t have it easy. He faces a stern test from Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, who has already tasted Indian road success this year after storming to the Bengaluru 10K crown in April with a time of 27:53. Last year, Cheptegei also lifted the New Delhi Half Marathon title in 59:46.
Meanwhile, Tanzania’s Simbu jets into India riding a towering wave of momentum after clinching the world marathon title in Tokyo with a gutsy 2:09:48 win.
In the women’s battle, 2022 Munich Marathon champion Agnes Keino will square up against defending champion Sutume Kebede of Ethiopia.
Keino will be hungry for redemption after a frustrating ninth-place finish at the Paris Marathon on April 13, where she stopped the clock at 2:26:09.
That race was dominated by Ethiopians Bedatu Hirpa (2:20:45) and Dera Dida (2:20:49), with Kenya’s Angela Tanui (2:21:07) sealing third place on the podium.
Kebede, the reigning Kolkata champion, won last year’s title in 1:19:21 and returns to defend her crown after a roller-coaster 2025 season, which saw her open with victory at the Tokyo Marathon (2:16:31) before fading to 27th at the World Championships in Tokyo in 2:35:30.
by TEDDY MULEI
