Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Sets Course Record in Kolkata 25K Race Win

Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa set a course record to win the women’s title at the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K, achieving the fastest 25km performance of all time.

Sutume ran 1:18:47 to claim the crown at the World Athletics Elite Label road race on Sunday.

The race saw Sutume go up against her compatriot Yalemzerf Yehualaw, the world 10km record-holder, who was making her 25km race debut.

Sutume applied pressure during the last kilometer and eventually won by 39 seconds, clocking 1:18:47.

According to the World Athletics (WA), the finishing mark beat both the previous event record of 1:21:04 and the previous stand-alone 25km world best of 1:19:53 which was set by Mary Keitany in 2010.

“I am happy with my timing,” said Sutume. “It is a good course with good weather conditions, which made it easier for me.”

Yalemzerf finished second in 1:19:26, while Kenya’s Betty Chepkemoi Kibet was third in 1:21:43.

In the Men’s contest, Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Demeke finished third in Kolkata in 1:13:36.

Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo held off his compatriot Victor Kipruto Togom to win the men’s title. Both Ebenyo, who clocked 1:11:13, and Togom, who ran 1:12:26, finished inside the previous event record of 1:12:49, per WA report.