January 2026 | 637 words | 2-minute read
Come January, runners across Mumbai and elsewhere gear up for India’s biggest marathon event, the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM), now in its 21st year.
Held on the third Sunday of January every year, the TMM, a World Athletics Gold Label Road Race and one of Asia’s most prestigious marathons, with a total prize fund of USD 389,524, has galvanized a whole city to lace up its running shoes and singlehandedly boosted a culture of fitness among people across ages and professional and socio-economic backgrounds.
Skipping their day of rest, on Sunday, January 18, 2025, 70,100 runners, including 65,500+ on ground and 4600 virtually, participated in a range of formats. These included:
- the 42.195 km Full Marathon
- the 21.097 km Half Marathon
- the 10 km Open 10k
- the 5.9 km Dream Run
- the 4.2 km Senior Citizens’ Run
- the 1.6 km run for Champions with Disability and
- the Virtual Run (Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10k and 5k).
What added to the prestige of the event was the presence of 25 and 14 (men and women, respectively) international elite runners and 23 and 14 (men and women, respectively) Indian elite runners.
To support and encourage runners, both elite and amateur, TMM invited Andre De Grasse, seven-time Olympic medallist and six-time World Championship winner, to be the International Ambassador this year.
The fastest first
The Elite race was won by Ethiopians Tadu Abate Deme and Yeshi Kalayu Chekole, in the men’s and women’s categories, marking the seventh time Ethiopian athletes have won both men’s and women’s titles at TMM. The two athletes were awarded prize money of USD 50,000 each, showcasing TMM’s commitment to equal prize money for men and women. For Yeshi Chekole, the win was a first in a major marathon.
Sanjivani Jadhav, debuting in the Full Marathon, finished tenth overall among the women runners and first among Indian women. Kartik Karkera won the Top Indian Male runner's prize. The two athletes were awarded prize money of INR 5 lakh each. Awards were also given to the top three amateur runners in both men’s and women’s categories.
Something new
This year’s TMM introduced a number of new initiatives, adding novelty to what has become a tradition for thousands of runners. The first of these was the unveiling of a landmark route, the newly opened Coastal Road, with views of the Arabian Sea and Mumbai’s skyline elevating the experience for the runners of the Elite Marathon. The other routes took runners through some of the city’s most iconic stretches. Champions with Disability demonstrated their capabilities in a supportive and accessible environment near Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.
The varied routes charted out for the different races not only reflected the diversity of Mumbai, but also showcased TMM’s theme for this year, #HarDilMumbai.
The other initiatives begun this year included the TMM Debutante, where first-time runners in the Full Marathon received a special bib with the words, ‘My First 42.195 km’ printed on it. Families running together across any of the categories received a digital photo frame capturing their shared finishing line moment.
Impact of running
The impact of TMM is not limited to fitness, personal bests and the long-distance run. It extends to a widespread and powerful philanthropy campaign, closely linked with TMM and its philanthropy partner, United Way Mumbai. This campaign raised over Rs 53.7 crore before race day, more than the amount raised last year. These funds will be used to support a variety of social causes.
The 2026 edition of TMM will also be remembered for its highest-ever participation of first-time fundraisers, who bring their efforts to bear upon a platform that has grown to be a powerful force for good.
—Cynthia Rodrigues
