The 20th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, witnessed the emergence of new champions as Eritrea's Berhane Tesfay and Kenya's Joyce Chepkemoi Tele triumphed in the men's and women's categories, respectively. The top three finishers in both categories received prize money of USD 50,000, USD 25,000, and USD 15,000.
The victories held special significance for both champions—Tesfay celebrated his first-ever marathon win, while Tele secured her second consecutive marathon victory in just three months.
The men's race unfolded as a tactical battle. Six runners, including defending champion Lemi Berhanu, stayed together in a pack for much of the course, with pacer Timothy Kibet of Kenya guiding the group until he stepped off at the 27 km mark. After 30 km, Kenyan Philemon Rono and Berhanu briefly exchanged leads, but by the 35 km mark, the event record was out of reach, shifting the focus to securing the win.
Ethiopian Tesfaye Demeke surged ahead with just 3 km remaining, but Eritrean teammates Berhane Tesfay and Merhawi Kesete increased their pace, overtaking Demeke in the final kilometers. Tesfay clinched victory in 2:11:44, with Kesete finishing six seconds behind in second place. Demeke completed the podium with a time of 2:11:56.
Defending champion Berhanu, aiming for a third consecutive win, finished sixth in 2:14:54, falling short of replicating the feat of Kenyan John Kelai, who achieved back-to-back wins in 2007-2008 and a third-place finish in 2009.
Reflecting on his win, Tesfay shared, "I'm happy to have won today’s race. The first half went smoothly, and I focused on maintaining a steady pace. After 25 km, my strategy shifted to securing the win rather than chasing a specific time. This victory is a testament to the hard work and training that led me here."
In the women's race, Joyce Chepkemoi Tele delivered an impressive performance, becoming the third Kenyan woman to win in Mumbai. Tele, 29, had recently claimed victory in the Ljubljana City Marathon in Slovakia last October, clocking 2:20:17. Despite entering the race with high expectations and the potential to break the course record of 2:24:15 set by Anchialem Haymanot in 2023, Tele faced a solo challenge after 27 km as key rivals, including defending champion Aberash Minsewo (Ethiopia) and pre-race favorite Shitaye Eshete (Bahrain), dropped out.
Supported by a pacer in the latter half of the race, Tele crossed the finish line in 2:24:56, just 41 seconds shy of the record. Eshete claimed second place with a time of 2:25:29, and Ethiopia’s Medina Deme Armino, last year’s Hong Kong Marathon champion, finished third in 2:27:58.
"I came here only to win the race and wasn’t thinking about any record," Tele said at the post-race press conference.
Eshete expressed satisfaction with her performance and stated her intention to return for better results in the future.
Tele’s win marked the continuation of Kenyan dominance in the women’s category, following the victories of Valentine Kipketer in 2013 and Bornes Kitur in 2017. Tesfay’s triumph underscored the growing presence of Eritrean athletes in global marathon competitions.
The Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025 reaffirmed its reputation as a premier event on the international running calendar, showcasing exceptional performances and thrilling finishes in both the men’s and women’s races.
Leading men's results:
RANK | NAME | COUNTRY | TIME |
---|---|---|---|
1 | BERHANE TESFAY | ERITREA | 02:11:44 |
2 | MERHAWI KESETE | ERITREA | 02:11:50 |
3 | TESFAYE DEMEKE | ETHIOPIA | 02:11:56 |
4 | PHILEMON RONO | KENYA | 02:12:09 |
5 | ABDI FUFA | ETHIOPIA | 02:12:48 |
6 | LEMI BERHANU | ETHIOPIA | 02:14:54 |
7 | ANISH THAPA | INDIA | 02:17:23 |
8 | MAN SINGH | INDIA | 02:17:37 |
9 | KEMAL HUSEN | ETHIOPIA | 02:17:37 |
10 | ASRAR HIYRDEN | ETHIOPIA | 02:18:31 |
Leading Women's Results:
RANK | NAME | COUNTRY | TIME |
---|---|---|---|
1 | JOYCE CHEPKEMOI TELE | KENYA | 02:24:56 |
2 | SHITAYE ESHETE | BAHRAIN | 02:25:29 |
3 | MEDINA DEME ARMINO | ETHIOPIA | 02:27:58 |
4 | NIGSTI HAFTU | ETHIOPIA | 02:28:29 |
5 | SHEWARGE ALENE | ETHIOPIA | 02:29:34 |
6 | AAMELMAL TAGEL | ETHIOPIA | 02:29:37 |
7 | ABERASH DEMISSE | ETHIOPIA | 02:29:53 |
8 | TIGST GETNET | ETHIOPIA | 02:33:00 |
9 | BIRTUKAN ABERA | ETHIOPIA | 02:33;55 |
10 | ENYISH MENGIE | ETHIOPIA | 02:34:13 |