Tadu Abate and Yeshi Chekole Claim Titles at Tata Mumbai Marathon 2026
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Mumbai, January 18, 2026 — Ethiopia’s Tadu Abate Deme and Yeshi Kalayu Chekole emerged victorious at the 21st edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race, delivering commanding performances on the revamped course. The top three finishers in both elite races earned prize money of USD 50,000, USD 25,000, and USD 15,000 respectively.
Women’s Elite Marathon
For Yeshi Kalayu Chekole, the victory marked her first career win at a major marathon, despite competing regularly over the distance since 2019. The 28-year-old executed her race plan to perfection, staying composed early and finishing with authority—just as she had outlined during pre-race media interactions.
The women’s race began with a tightly packed group of around a dozen Ethiopian runners. Among the key contenders were last year’s third-place finisher Medina Deme Armino and Shure Demise, the fastest entrant in the field with a personal best of 2:20:59 set in Dubai in 2015. With the absence of last year’s top two finishers, Joyce Chepkemoi and Shitaye Eshete, Armino aimed to seize the title and initially dictated the pace, using her familiarity with the Mumbai course to her advantage.
However, after the halfway mark, Armino began to fade as Kidsan Alema surged to the front. Chekole remained patient, staying with Alema along with compatriots Gojjam Tesgaye and Birke Debele through the three-quarter point of the race. With just a few kilometres remaining, Chekole made a decisive move, breaking away to run solo to the finish.
She crossed the line in 2:25:13, the fifth-fastest winning time in the history of the Mumbai Marathon.
“I am very happy to be the champion today,” Chekole said after the race. “I came here expecting to break the course record, but the weather made things difficult. Still, I felt strong and positive throughout the race, especially on the uphill and downhill sections.”
Runner-up Kidsan Alema credited the spectators for their encouragement but admitted that the conditions took their toll.
“In the middle of the race, my body started to feel warm, and I dropped slightly behind the leading group,” she said.
Men’s Elite Marathon
The men’s race unfolded as a gripping tactical battle from the outset. Kenya’s Leonard Kiprotich Langat matched strides with Ethiopia’s Tadu Abate and Eritrea’s Merhawi Kesete, last year’s runner-up, while Uganda’s 2023 world marathon champion Victor Kiplangat and Ethiopia’s Gada Gemsisa stayed within striking distance through the halfway point.
Abate and Langat exchanged the lead repeatedly until the 40-kilometre mark, with Kesete trailing by roughly 50 metres. In the closing kilometre, Abate injected a decisive surge, breaking clear as Langat struggled to respond. The Ethiopian crossed the finish line first in 2:09:55, with Langat claiming second place in 2:10:10, 15 seconds adrift. Kesete completed the podium in 2:10:22.
The sweep gave Ethiopia both the men’s and women’s titles in Mumbai for the seventh time in event history.
“It was a very competitive and tactical race from start to finish,” Langat said. “The course was challenging, but it was well organised, and the road conditions were good.”
A delighted Abate reflected on his winning strategy:
“I am grateful to the organisers and all the partners for this competition. The hills were tough, but after halfway I settled into my rhythm, focused on conserving energy, and chose the right moments to push. My body felt good, and I’m very happy to win here in Mumbai.”
Indian Elite Highlights
Sanjivani Jadhav delivered one of the standout performances of the day, excelling on her marathon debut. The seasoned distance runner clocked 2:49:02, finishing tenth overall among women and securing the top Indian women’s position.
“I’m really happy—I feel amazing,” Jadhav said. “This was my first marathon, and after 35 kilometres I knew I was going to win gold.”
Veteran Nirmaben Thakor, who was chasing a third consecutive Mumbai Marathon title, finished second in 2:49:13.
“I trained very hard and was aiming for gold, but maybe next time,” she reflected.
Sonam rounded out the Indian women’s podium in 2:49:24, describing the race as a valuable learning experience rather than a contest.
“I followed my senior and learned how to manage my pace. We ran like sisters,” she said.
On the men’s side, Kartik Karkera, who trains in Russia, produced a breakthrough performance in only his second career marathon. Entering the race with an unremarkable 2:30:30 from the Moscow Marathon, the metric miler surprised the field by clocking a personal best of 2:19:55, earning the Top Indian Male Runner title.
“This was my first marathon in Mumbai, and it feels great to win on debut,” Karkera said. “The course was challenging, but I enjoyed the experience. My next goal is to qualify for the Asian Games.”
Defending Indian champion Anish Thapa finished second in 2:20:08, once again demonstrating his consistency on the Mumbai course.
“I’m delighted to finish second, but I think I could have done better,” he said.
Pradeep Chaudhary claimed third place in 2:20:49 after battling cramps mid-race.
“I was extremely nervous, and the cramps forced me to stop briefly,” he explained. “The upcoming season is crucial for me, especially with the Asian Games on the calendar.”
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.
