Bengaluru, Nov 28: History will unfold just about a little more than a fortnight from today, when the world’s first World Athletics Gold Label 25 K Race, Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, will be flagged off from the iconic Red Road on Sunday, 15 December 2024. Football great Sol Campbell, cricketing legend Jhulan Goswami and Tollywood Diva Koushani Mukherjee will join runners from around the world #AamarKolkataShonarKolkata.
With registrations in full swing, the countdown for the 9th edition of the event was set amidst the domes, turrets and arches of the central courtyard of the historic marvel Victoria Memorial.
Running is the fastest-growing sport in India, and a true testament to Kolkata’s awakening to a running movement is that registrations for the USD 142,214 prize money event continue to be in high spirits. The 10K, has received an overwhelming response from the running community and is now oversubscribed. Registrations for the feature race 25K, Ananda Run, Senior Citizen Run, and Champions with Disability are open until November 29, IST 11:59 p.m., or until running places are filled, whichever is earlier.
Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said: “The Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, now also a prestigious World Athletics Gold Label Race, is a red-letter day for athletes worldwide. It is also a day when participants, organizers and the community come together to celebrate the spirit of fitness, strength, and resilience. For Tata Steel, a company dedicated to and heavily invested in sports, this is yet another opportunity to bring people from all walks of life together by leveraging their passion for sports and fitness. We expect the 2024 edition of the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata to be a bigger success than the previous editions.”
“I am honoured to be a part of this moment when TSW 25K becomes the only Gold Label run at this distance in the world. Vijay Diwas celebrates our 1971 victory and Tata and Procam’s continuous support to this moment through the Vijay Diwas Trophy is commendable. I wish the race all success and expect huge participation,” Brig. AK Das, Deputy GoC, Bengal Sub Area.
“It is wonderful to see that the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata has grown to become the world’s first 25K Gold Label to be run from Kolkata. I am not at all surprised to see the buzz the event has created and how people are registering for different categories. I call upon you all the fitness enthusiasts, your family and friends to register and start the race alongside me on race day,” said cricketer Jhulan Goswami, Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata Ratna Naarayan TV, CMO, IDFC FIRST Bank, “IDFC FIRST Bank is proud to be the exclusive Associate Partner of the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata. We celebrate every runner’s #JourneyToTheStart and support them in taking that first step towards a physical and financially healthy lifestyle. We look forward to a day filled with energy, enthusiasm in the City of Joy, Kolkata.”
“It is an absolute privilege to host the first World Athletics Gold Label 25K in Kolkata, with this glorious backdrop. West Bengal has truly taken up to this sport with all categories filling up fast. This is with the support of our stakeholders – The government of West Bengal, our sponsors, and, more importantly, our runners. We can assure you a galaxy of international and national level athletes and an unmatched running experience for all our runners,” said Vivek Singh, Jt. MD, Procam International.
