The TATA Mumbai Marathon 2025 kicked off with an overwhelming response, with thousands of runners, including professionals, amateurs, senior citizens, and differently-abled participants, gathering at the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) early Sunday morning. At 5:00 am, the marathon officially began, with the Marathon Amateurs race starting from CSMT, followed by the Half Marathon and Police Cup at Mahim Reti Bundar. The event saw over 25,000 participants in various categories, including a notable 13,000 in the first race. 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Ganpati Bappa Morya' slogans echoed through the crowd early morning. A participant expressed concerns about the lack of post-race refreshments. When asked about the facilities at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025, Digambar Jha, a full marathon participant, said, "Post-race refreshments were not provided, which is disappointing. Water could be served in glasses instead of Bisleri bottles to minimise plastic waste." Amol Korgaonkar, who participated in the 20 km 'Half Marathon and Police Cup,' completed the race in an impressive two hours and 20 minutes. This marked his seventh medal at the Mumbai Marathon, and he expressed his pride in participating in one of Asia's biggest marathons. Event ambassador and legendary runner Mo Farah was spotted at the marathon, interacting with fans and inspiring participants. Participants were cheered on by vibrant performances, including a band performance by the 15th Battalion of the Assam Regiment's Military Pipe Band, while a group of bike riders added further energy to the marathon's atmosphere. Athletes with special abilities were also present, highlighting incredible determination. The marathon also saw inspiring participation from senior citizens and individuals with disabilities, proving that determination knows no age or ability. From seasoned athletes to first-time runners, the 20th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon featured multiple categories to suit all abilities; WATCH VIDEO: A Mumbaikar, Angad Singh Duggal, who doctors predicted would be bedridden for life, defied the odds and also made it to the marathon. The men's Elite Race saw Anish Thapa Magar clinch the first spot, followed by Man Singh and Gopi Thonakal in second and third, respectively. On the women's side, Nirma Ben Thakur emerged victorious, with Sonika Parmar and Sonam securing second and third place. The TATA Mumbai Marathon 2025 highlighted the collective spirit of Mumbai, with citizens from all walks of life coming together to celebrate fitness and sportsmanship.
20 January,2025 12:22 PM IST | Mumbai | Jyoti ShuklaThe Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025, one of Asia’s largest running events, kicked off early Sunday morning at the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Drawing over 25,000 participants, the marathon buzzed with energy and enthusiasm, showcasing Mumbai’s unparalleled vibe and its love for fitness. Among the many voices, Manish Katyal described the event as the "Kumbh Mela of marathons." Speaking about his experience, he said, “I’ve never seen such an incredible marathon anywhere in India. The coordination, the route, and the fact that runners come from all over the world, it’s truly like the Kumbh Mela of marathons." Sanjay Mundhra, another participant, echoed similar sentiments. “This is our third Mumbai Marathon. During my first marathon three years ago, I decided that every time I run, I will come to Mumbai. It’s the vibe of the city that motivates me.” Encouraging others to experience the event, he said, “Feel the vibes here—you’re missing out!” The duo travel across India for marathons and have participated in marathons in Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur. "Wherever we feel comfortable and find a good place to run, we go,” said Katyal. This is their third Mumbai Marathon. When asked about their motivation, Mundhra said, "It's the vibe of Mumbai. On my first marathon three years ago, I decided that every time I run, I will come to Mumbai." The marathon also saw inspiring participation from senior citizens and individuals with disabilities, proving that determination knows no age or ability. From seasoned athletes to first-time runners, the 20th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon featured multiple categories to suit all abilities; WATCH VIDEO: A Mumbaikar, Angad Singh Duggal, who doctors predicted would be bedridden for life, defied the odds and also made it to the marathon. Harjeet Singh, 55, from Chandigarh, who has participated in marathons across the country, shared his excitement, and said he loves participating in marathons and will also be running the full marathon in Bangalore. "I am very active in participating in marathons across the country and I love it," he added. Harjeet Singh, 55, from Chandigarh, shares his excitement at the Mumbai Marathon 2025Via: @sujay_shivalkar #MumbaiMarathon #Runner #News #Sports pic.twitter.com/cDEmxBB3Uu — Mid Day (@mid_day) January 19, 2025 Participants were cheered on by vibrant performances, including a band performance by the 15th Battalion of the Assam Regiment's Military Pipe Band, while a group of bike riders added further energy to the marathon's atmosphere. The TATA Mumbai Marathon 2025 highlighted the collective spirit of Mumbai, with citizens from all walks of life coming together to celebrate fitness and sportsmanship.
20 January,2025 12:12 PM IST | Mumbai | Jyoti ShuklaNirmaben Thakor put on a masterclass in endurance to successfully defend her crown in the Indian women’s elite category at the Tata Mumbai Marathon on Sunday. She blitzed her way, clocking 2:50:06, a good 49 seconds quicker than her closest combatant, Sonika Parmar (2:50:55), who bagged the silver medal. Twenty-year-old Sonam, making her full marathon debut, crossed the line third with a timing of 2:55:45. Thakor, who was in second place for most part of the first half of the race, made an expertly timed late charge to emerge fastest. However, despite being the only elite category athlete to defend her title on the day, Thakor bemoaned the lack of hydration along the gruelling course. Also Read: Enter, Eritrea! Not happy despite win “Even though I finished first, I’m not very happy. I wasn’t provided water frequently on the route. Secondly, throughout the race, there were two bikes and/or cycles alongside the leader for support, but I did not see anyone near us [the trailing group]. We were running alone. It felt like we had no value,” she said. While there is one main lead vehicle that is always in front of the international men’s elite runners, there are some support vehicles [motorbikes or cycles] that accompany other lead groups like the Indian men’s elite or Indian women’s elite groups. While these vehicles indicate to runners that they are leading, they also provide other nutritional or technical support, if needed. Sonam also echoed her senior compatriot’s thoughts. “It was difficult to know what position we were in because there was no one [support bike or cycle] around us. Afterwards, when I felt my body get tighter, there was no one to offer any [muscle relaxant] spray or gel during the race. If we had a cycle or two accompanying us, it would give us that much more confidence. Also, in the last five kilometres, I didn’t get water when that is the time you require water the most,” said Sonam. Parmar exhausted Meanwhile, second-placed Parmar, who managed to stay ahead of Thakor in the initial stages of the race before eventually falling behind, blamed it on exhaustion. “I participated in a lot of competitions recently. I ran a 42km race on December 31, then a national cross-country race as well, so my body did not get a chance to recover fully,” said Parmar.
20 January,2025 08:19 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan CarvalhoWorld champion D Gukesh got lucky and came back from a tough position to beat Anish Giri of Holland in the first round of the Tata Steel Masters now underway here. Receiving his Khel Ratna on Friday and then taking a flight to Amsterdam, Gukesh reached here barely hours before the start of the first round. That probably had its toll on the young Indian but he got into top gear when it mattered the most. The game was almost lost when Gukesh found moves that left Giri with some difficult choices and the Dutchman found all but the final winning move. Also Read: Axelsen, An Se-Young emerge India Open champions It was an eventful first round with three decisive games and making the most of his white pieces was P Harikrishna who crashed through the defenses of compatriot World No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi. Leon Luke Mendonca let a nearly won position slip out of hand as he made several errors that gave German Vincent Keymer a winning start while R Praggnanandhaa put up a stiff resistance against Nodirbek Abdusattorov to draw eventually. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 January,2025 08:12 AM IST | Wijk Aan Zee (The Netherlands) | PTIOlympic champions Viktor Axelsen and An Se-young secured the men’s and women’s singles crowns respectively with dominating wins in lop-sided finals at the India Open Super 750 badminton tournament here on Sunday. Also Read: Sabalenka, Gauff enter quarters Axelsen, a 2017 and 2019 winner, prevailed 21-16, 21-8 over last year’s finalist Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in the men’s singles summit clash at the KD Jadhav indoor hall. Axelsen thus erased the disappointment of falling in the opening round of Malaysian Open super 1000 last week to the same opponent. “To be honest, to win this title is very special to me. Because it has been just a different feeling on court and different preparation. I’m starting to feel like my motivation is back. I’ve been a competitor this week,” Axelsen, who was playing in his sixth India Open final in 10 years, told reporters. In the women’s singles, it was another graceful performance from An Se-Young of Korea, a 2023 champion, as she effortlessly packed off Thailand’s Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-12, 21-9 to win her second India Open crown. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 January,2025 08:09 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIWorld No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka swept into the quarter-finals at a scorching-hot Australian Open on Sunday and was joined by Coco Gauff. Double defending champion Sabalenka blew away Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva 6-1, 6-2 in a ruthless display on the hottest day of the tournament so far. Also Read: ‘Reminds me of Rafa’ As temperatures hit 34 degrees Celsius (93 Fahrenheit) in Melbourne, Gauff dropped a set for the first time this season but fought back to beat Belinda Bencic 5-7, 6-2, 6-1. Sabalenka and Gauff will meet in the semi-finals should they win their respective matches in the last eight. Belarus’ Sabalenka was out on a roasting centre court for only 62 minutes before registering an 18th consecutive win at Melbourne Park. “I’m super happy to get through this difficult match in straight sets,” said Sabalenka, who faces Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova next. World No. 3 Gauff next faces Spain’s 11th seed Paula Badosa, who dismantled Serbia’s Olga Danilovic 6-1, 7-6 (7/2). This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 January,2025 08:05 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPNovak Djokovic said he was braced for “a big battle” after setting up a blockbuster Australian Open quarter-final with Carlos Alcaraz on Sunday. The 37-year-old Serb, who is gunning for a record 25th Grand Slam title and 11th Melbourne crown, beat 24th seed Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) on Rod Laver Arena. In last eight for 15th time It sent him into the last eight at Melbourne Park for a 15th time, a record he now shares with Roger Federer and one ahead of Rafael Nadal. His reward is a showdown on Tuesday with third seed Alcaraz, who is already a four-time Slam winner aged 21 but has never gone beyond the Australian Open quarter-finals. “We had some long battles, long exchanges,” said Djokovic. “The kind of matches that I played against him remind me of my match-ups versus Nadal in terms of the intensity and the energy on the court. He’s a very dynamic, explosive player. Incredibly talented. Charismatic player. Great to watch — not that great to play against,” he added with a smile. Alcaraz progressed after Jack Draper retired hurt during their last-16 match when the Briton was losing 7-5, 6-1. Djokovic and Alcaraz have played each other seven times with the Serb leading 4-3, including victory in their last clash in the Paris Olympics final. They have crossed paths at Grand Slams three times, twice in the Wimbledon decider with the Spaniard winning on both occasions. But they have never played at Melbourne Park, where Djokovic has achieved his greatest success. “When we are seeing him playing, he seems like he’s young again.... it’s unbelievable. He’s in a really good shape,” said Alcaraz. Also Read: Utd beaten 1-3 by Brighton; Spurs go down to Everton Against Draper, Alcaraz was well on top when the Briton pulled the pin on a sweltering afternoon because of “multiple areas really in pain”. Zverev through Alexander Zverev booked a quarter-final against Tommy Paul after surviving a mid-match wobble to oust France’s Ugo Humbert as he zeroes in on a maiden Grand Slam title. Zverev won 6-1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Novak Djokovic . Pic/AFP Djokovic refuses on-court interviews over ‘insulting comments’ Novak Djokovic said Sunday he will not do any more on-court interviews at the Australian Open after accusing a leading anchor at the host broadcaster of making “insulting comments” about him and Serbian people. The 10-time Melbourne champion refused to do a regular post-match chat after beating Jiri Lehecka in three sets on Rod Laver Arena to make the quarter-finals. Djokovic explained the decision in a post-match press conference. “A couple days ago the famous sports journalist who works for official broadcaster Channel Nine here in Australia made a mockery of Serbian fans and also made insulting and offensive comments towards me,” he said, declining to use the name. “And since then, he chose not to issue any public apology. Neither did Channel Nine. So since they’re official broadcasters, I chose not to give interviews for Channel Nine. I have nothing against Jim Courier or the Australian public,” he added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 January,2025 08:02 AM IST | Melbourne | AFPVeteran Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna and his Chinese partner Zhang Shuai entered the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles event at the Australian Open after they got a walkover in a second round match here on Sunday. Also Read: Half ton, full fun! Bopanna and Shuai were up against fourth seeds Taylor Townsend of USA and Hugo Nys of Monaco but the Indo-Chinese pair moved on without taking the court. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
20 January,2025 07:53 AM IST | Melbourne | PTIFor most athletes, breaking a national record is a life-changing moment, but not for 20-year-old Sonam. The Delhi-based distance runner is convinced that if sportspeople outside the realm of cricket succeed, they only get fleeting moments of adulation before life goes on as it was. “There’s been no change in my personal life. Everyone just takes interviews, but there’s still no support. My father still works at a brick kiln [in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh],” Sonam told mid-day after winning third place in the Indian elite women’s category (2:55:45) at the Mumbai Marathon despite having no prior experience of running a 42-km race. Record-breaking journey Sonam first shot into the limelight in 2023 when she broke the national record in the 2000m steeplechase. Odisha’s Parul Chaudhury, widely renowned as one of the best steeplechase athletes in the country, had held the record for more than a decade. Despite her win though, the issues that plague her life persist. Also Read: Nirmaben Thakor shines brightest at the Tata Mumbai Marathon, but... “My dad called me yesterday [Saturday] and said he is mortgaging our house to pay for my younger sister’s wedding. I hadn’t told my family that I’m coming to Mumbai to participate in the marathon, because they would worry about my health and safety in this big city,” she said. Though this was her debut full marathon, Sonam ran it keeping her family’s needs in mind, meaning the price of returning home empty-handed would’ve been too big a burden to carry. She needed that monetary gain to show for her efforts. “I get R3000 every three months from the Khelo India initiative, plus a little bit from a few small foundations. I use that to finance my training. I never have anything left to give to my family. That’s why I came here, targeting a top-seven finish, to earn at least Rs 1 lakh [prize money]. But this [rupees three lakh prize money for bronze medal finish] will now help my sister fulfil her wedding wish, and hopefully save our house too,” said Sonam. Parents, biggest motivation As if carrying the hopes of her family weren’t enough, Sonam also has to cope with misogynistic remarks and jeers from fellow villagers at her Uttar Pradesh home. “My parents standing by me is my biggest motivation. Even today, whenever I go to my village, people say things like ‘why aren’t they marrying her off,’ or ‘what’s the use of all this when she’ll only end up cooking food.’ During my races, these thoughts keep playing in my mind,” she added with a smile and hopes that her Mumbai Marathon bronze medal show becomes a springboard for higher honours and perhaps be that long-awaited life-changing moment.
20 January,2025 07:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan CarvalhoThe josh was high, but unfortunately so was the temperature on Sunday, January 19, as a top-class men’s and women’s field had it tough because of the heat and humidity at the Tata Mumbai Marathon. Yet, though the TMM records did not tumble, the racing was edge-of-the-seat stuff. In the end, a little nation at the Horn of Africa, Eritrea, stamped itself on the city’s marathon map making the 20th edition that much more special. Eritrean Berhane Tesfay won the men’s race in 2:11:44 while his compatriot and training partner Merhawi Kesete finished second clocking 2: 11:50. Ethiopia’s Tesfaye Demeke (2:11:56) was third. Among the women’s, Kenya’s Joyce Chepkemoi Tele emerged fastest with a timing of 2:24:56, just 41 seconds slower than the course record. Also Read: TATA Mumbai Marathon: Anish Thapa thunders to victory; suggests earlier start to beat the heat In the men’s category, one saw six men consistently running in one bunch that seemed extraordinary in the greater part of the race. These six included defending champion Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu. Pacer Timoty Kibet from Kenya pulled the group across 27 km before withdrawing. After the 30 km mark, Kenyan Philemon Rono and Lemi exchanged the lead, making one think that these two are strategising and will go for broke at an opportune moment. Then though, one saw Ethiopian Tesfaye Demeke take the lead around the 39 km mark. This day though belonged to the men from the other E — Eritrea, and not the familiar Ethiopia to dominate as a turbo-charged Tesfay and Kesete went past Demeke, to claim the first two spots on the podium. The runners proudly flew their Eritrean flag at the finish line. Tesfay’s Paris failure The commentator stated, “Tesfay was 64th at the Paris Olympics marathon, that was a bad day at the office. Here, he is way better.” Tesfay replied in the post-race media interaction: “The Paris course downhill was way too difficult, not a marathon course,” as the media laughed. The fact that Eritrea swept the top two positions was special for an Indian audience that is used to seeing Ethiopians and Kenyans on marathon podiums. Joyce rejoices Meanwhile, it was twice as nice for Tele (29) with her second straight marathon victory in three months. She won her maiden race at the Ljubljana City Marathon in Slovakia last October (2:20:17) before this. Though she couldn’t better the event record of 2:24:15, which stands in the name of Ethiopian Anchialem Haymanot in 2023, she did a commendable job given the searing conditions. Shitaye Eshete (Bahrain) took silver (2:25:29), while Ethiopia’s Medina Deme Armino, last year’s Hong Kong marathon champion, claimed the bronze (2:27:58). The men’s and women’s winners took home USD 50,000 (R43 lakh) each.
20 January,2025 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Hemal AsharAnish Thapa excelled in testing conditions at the 20th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM) on Sunday, claiming victory in the Indian elite men’s category with a time of 2:17:23. Man Singh (2:17:37) and Gopi Thonakal (2:19:59) finished second and third respectively. Thapa’s race was a fine blend of power and endurance as he put ample daylight between himself and the rest of the pack as the race progressed. Also Read: IN PHOTOS | Wankhede Stadium's 50th anniversary: Laser show, fireworks, and memories galore India’s Anish Thapa crosses the finish line The standout moment came around the 1 hour, 52-minute mark when Thapa left a tiring Man Singh in his wake on an uphill section to gain a firm grasp on the proceedings. Thapa fell 15 seconds short of achieving his personal best of 2:17:09, which he had set in Dhaka last year. “This is the first time I have won a marathon at this level [IAAF Gold Label Road Race], so I’m very happy. I wanted to break the course record [2:15:48 set by NS Rawat in 2016] , but things didn’t pan out the way I wanted it to as the weather conditions were very hot,” Thapa said at the post-race press conference. Gopi and Singh agreed with Thapa’s assessment of the weather and hoped that the future editions of the elite category races in the Mumbai Marathon could start earlier in the morning. “Due to the heat, your muscles start to cramp. It’ll be beneficial to the athletes to start the race earlier,” said Singh, who won a gold medal at the Asian Championships last year. Gopi, who won the Mumbai Marathon in 2023, said, “The first 20-25 kms of the race were fine, but then I started cramping up after that at, around the 32km mark and eventually fell behind. I think a 5:30am start [the elite men’s marathon began at 7:20am] would be good.”
20 January,2025 07:21 AM IST | Mumbai | Ronan CarvalhoADVERTISEMENT
