Kolkata 25K 2022: Amethi-born Abhishek Pal wins Indian elite race, clocks personal best

In the Indian elite men's category, Amethi-born Abhishek Pal won the race after clocking his personal best at the Kolkata 25K 2022 on Sunday.

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Moreover, Abhishek received the prize money of Rs 275,000. He completed the 25km race in one hour, 17 minutes, and 52 seconds. This was 34 seconds better than his previous best recorded in 2018. Earlier this year, the 25-year-old Abhishek Pal won the 5000m race at India's National Games 2022 before winning the 10000m race at the National Inter-State Senior athletics in Chennai.

"Till the 20 km mark we were neck and neck, but after that, I picked up the pace. I will head to Bengaluru from here and train for the next season, with the Asian Games due next year," Abhishek Pal said after the race.

At the same time, Kenya's Leonard Barsoton and Ethiopia-based Bahraini athlete Desi Jisa set new course records to win the men's and women's titles respectively. Barsoton brilliantly defended his title in the 25 km and broke the record he had set in 2019. He covered the distance in one hour, 12 minutes, and 49 seconds. Earlier, the athlete had won in 2019 by clocking one hour, 13 minutes, and five seconds. Barsoton was initially not on the lead but after 20 km he accelerated and then overtook Alfred Ngeno, Abdisa Tola, and Berhanu Leges.

While in the women's section, Jisa set a new course record by almost a minute. She clocked one hour, 21 minutes, and four seconds, breaking the previous record of one hour, 22 minutes, and nine seconds. The previous record was in the name of Ethiopian Guteni Shone.

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Meanwhile, in the men's elite section, Berhanu Legese of Ethiopia (1:12:54) and Commonwealth Games marathon champion Victor Kiplangat of Uganda (1:12:56) finished second and third respectively. While in the women's section, Ethiopia's Zeineba Yimer (1:21:18) and Uganda's Mercyline Chelangat (1:21:31) finished second and third respectively.

Kolkata 25K 2022 Medal Winners:

International men's elite race-

1. Leonard Barsoton (Kenya) 1:12:49
2. Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) 1:12:54
3. Victor Kiplangat (Uganda) 1:12:56

International women's elite race

1. Desi Jisa (Bahrain) - 1:21.04
2. Zeineba Yimer (Ethiopia) 1:21.18
3. Mercyline Chelangat (Uganda) 1:21.31

Indian men's elite race

1. Abhishek Pal - 1:17.52
2. Kalidas Hirave - 1:17.57
3. Srinu Bugatha - 1:18.25

Indian women's elite race

1. Sanjivani Jadhav - 1:34.23
2. Monika Choudhary - 1:37.00
3. Reenu Singh - 1:39.11