Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025: Ethiopia dominates international entries as Lemi and Minsewo eye title defence

Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025: Ethiopia dominates international entries as Lemi and Minsewo eye title defence

The 20th edition of Tata Mumbai Marathon will be held here on Sunday and Ethiopian champions Hayle Lemi Berhanu and Abersh Minsewo, in men’s and women’s categories respectively, are back in the mix to defend their titles.

The international men’s elite category will feature 17 runners from only two countries, Ethiopia (15) and Kenya (2).

Similarly, the international women’s elite section will also be dominated by Ethiopian runners whose number in the field is 17 compared to only two from Kenya, in a field of 19 competitors.

However, it will be a tough challenge in the men’s category as Lemi is not only eyeing a hat-trick of wins in the Mumbai Marathon but he has won each of the three events that he participated in last year.

Apart from being the defending champion in Mumbai, Lemi also won the Berlin and Prague Marathons in 2024, which makes him a formidable opponent to face on the track.

“My preparation for the marathon has been excellent, especially after Beijing. I’ve been focused on training and I am aiming for my third win this Sunday,” a confident Lemi said during a press conference to introduce top overseas elite runners.

“I have good experience with this course, and I believe my preparation gives me an advantage. I always listen to my coach and manager, following their program without deviation.” “Their guidance and my patience have been key to my progress. I’ve waited a long time for this moment, and I’m confident in delivering a strong performance on Sunday,” added Lemi, who finished second in the Boston Marathon in 2021.

Lemi’s current record makes him a hot favourite as his immediate challenger and compatriot Bazezew Asmare’s last win came back in 2022 in the Hawassa Half Marathon while his Kenyan opponent in Philemon Rono’s previous win was in 2023 in the Kosice Marathon (Slovakia).

The title defender in the women’s category Minsewo said her preparations for the race as well as her experience give her the confidence to put up an impressive show.

“Last year, I didn’t have much experience, but now I do and that has made a big difference. When I first came to India, I didn’t know what to expect, but now I feel ready to deliver a great performance,” said Minsewo, who also finished fourth in the Delhi Half Marathon in 2023.

The women’s field is expected to witness tough competition between the top runners as Bahrain’s Shitaye Eshete finished second in the Mexico City Marathon last year, whereas another Ethiopian in Shuko Genemo finished third in Frankfurt, second in Barcelona as well as in Chengdu (2023).

However, Minsewo reiterated that her confidence is based on having knowledge of the track which has not gone through major changes in terms of route, and also the weather conditions.

“My preparation this year has been very strong, and I’m feeling confident about the race on Sunday. I know the course well and I believe that will help me get a good result,” she added.