Ethiopia's Tadu Abate, Yeshi Kalayu Chekole crowned Mumbai Marathon 2026 champions

Ethiopians Tadu Abate Deme and Yeshi Kalayu Chekole registered significant victories in the 21st edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, in Mumbai on Sunday. The top three finishers each took home prize money of USD 50,000, USD 25,000, and USD 15,000 respectively.

It was the first career win in a major marathon for Yeshi Chekole, although she had been running this distance since 2019. The 28-year-old neatly executed what she revealed earlier during a pre-race media interaction, staying relaxed and finishing strong.

About a dozen Ethiopian women started the race together. Important among them were last year’s third-place finisher Medina Deme Armino and Shure Demise, the fastest entrant, with a PB of 2:20:59, clocked some eleven years ago in Dubai. Armino wanted to triumph this time in the absence of the top two from last year – Joyce Chepkemoi and Shitaye Eshete. Using her knowledge of the Mumbai roads from her previous sojourn, Armino was in command during the first half of the race. However, she faded away and started lagging behind the leader, Kidsan Alema, thereafter.

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Yeshi remained with Kidsan and two other compatriots. Gojjam Tesgaye and Birke Debele, when the runners covered three-fourths of the distance. She broke away from the rest a couple of kilometres away and was running solo in the remaining part of the race. She went on to win the race, clocking 2:25:13, which was the fifth-fastest time among Mumbai winners to date.

“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”, Yeshi said after the race.

Kidsan shared that she was encouraged by the support from spectators all along the course. “In the middle of the race, my body started to feel a bit warm and I dropped slightly behind the leading group”, she further added.

In the Men’s Elite Marathon, Kenyan Leonard Kiprotich Langat was locked in a keen battle with last year’s runner-up Merhawi Kesete (Eritrea) and Tadu Abate (Ethiopia) right from the start. Uganda’s 2023 World Marathon Champion Victor Kiplangat and Ethiopian Gada Gemsisa were hanging around them until the half-way stage.

Both Abate and Langat exchanged the lead until the 40 km mark, while Kesete was about 50 metres behind them. Abate increased his pace in the last kilometre, while Langat struggled to catch up. The Ethiopian crossed the finish-line first in 2:09:55, with Langat finishing 15 seconds later for the runner-up position. Kesete could manage only a third place in 2:10:22.

With today’s win, the Ethiopians took both men’s and women’s titles together in Mumbai for the seventh time.

“It was a very competitive and tactical race from start to finish. The course was challenging, but it was well organised, and the roads were in good condition,” said Langat.

A joyful Tadu explained, “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”.

Sanjivani and Kartik top Indian finishers

Sanjivani Jadhav’s name has been associated with distance running in the country for well over a decade. However, excelling in a marathon on her debut at the distance gave her immense joy. She clocked 2:49:02 on her maiden attempt to finish overall tenth among the women runners and first among the Indian women. Reflecting on her achievement, 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.”

The experienced Nirmaben Thakor, who was gunning for a hat-trick of marathon wins, finished a distant second at 2:49:13. Speaking after the race, she said, “I had trained really hard and was aiming for gold, but hard luck, maybe next time.”

Sonam completed the podium in third with a time of 2:49:24, describing the race as a learning experience rather than a battle. “I kept following my senior and trained with her,” she said. “I learned how to manage my pace and run a marathon. It wasn’t a competition; we were running like sisters.”

For Kartik Karkera, who trains in Russia, it was only a second marathon of his career. No one paid much attention to him at the beginning as he entered the fray with a nondescript 2:30:30 for a fifteenth place in the Moscow Marathon last year. A regular metric miler, Karthik surprised several experienced Indian road runners like Anish Thapa and Srinu Bugatha in today’s race as he finished with a new PB of 2:19:55 to snatch the Top Indian Male runner’s prize in Mumbai.

Speaking after his victory, Kartik 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.”

Defending champion Anish Thapa delivered another solid performance to finish second in 2:20:08, reinforcing his consistency at the Mumbai Marathon. Anish remained in contention through the race before settling for a podium finish. Reflecting on his run, he said, “Delighted to finish second, but I think I could have done better.”

Completing the podium in third with a time of 2:20:49, Pradeep Chaudhary reflected on a difficult race. “I was extremely nervous, and midway through the race I started experiencing cramps, which forced me to stop briefly. The upcoming season is crucial for me, with a packed calendar that includes the Asian Games,” he said.

The top three finishers in the Indian Elite men’s and women’s categories received prize money of INR 5 lakh, INR 4 lakh and INR 3 lakh respectively.