An air of excitement and anticipation has engulfed Kolkata as the country’s cultural capital prepares for the much-anticipated seventh edition of eastern India’s biggest running festival, the 2022 Tata Steel Kolkata 25K, on December 18.

The only World Athletics Elite Label road race over this distance, the TSK 25K’s AIMS accredited course is carefully crafted to take in some of the city’s majestic sights as the participants go past the Raj Bhavan, the Eden Gardens, under the Howrah Railway Bridge over the Hooghly River, Fort Williams Golf Course and the Victoria Memorial before returning to the historic Red Road finish line.

The countdown commenced today at The Oberoi Grand, the event’s Hospitality Partner, with Sarvesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Communications, India & SEA, of title sponsor Tata Steel, Amit Sinha, Country Head – Branch Banking, IDFC FIRST Bank of

Associate sponsor IDFC FIRST Bank unveiling the SEIKO Race Clock along with the TSK 25K Ratnas — cricket legend Jhulan Goswami and the reigning queen of Bengali cinema Subhashree Ganguly.

The USD 100,000 prize fund race will be headlined by the 2022 Commonwealth Games marathon champion Victor Kiplangat of Uganda, defending champion and course record holder Leonard Barsoton of Kenya and two-time Tokyo Marathon winner Birhanu Legese of Ethiopia in the men’s International Elite field, and the 2022 Tokyo Marathon runnerup Ashete Bekere of Ethiopia and the 2019 TSK 25K runner-up Desi Jisa of Bahrain in the women’s section. The International Elite runners will be further incentivised by an Event Record Bonus of USD 3,000.

Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President (Corporate Services), Tata Steel, said, “The significance of mass-participation sport like the TSK 25K lies in its inclusivity as there is a distance for everyone to participate in and a platform for all to take part. Registration is in full swing for the biggest race of eastern India. Don’t miss out, be a part of this joyful experience this December.”

Tata Steel Kolkata 25K has over the years invited eminent sporting personalities to   inspire the runners to give their best. Two-time Grand Slam singles champion Mary Pierce is the International Event Ambassador and will spur on the runners along with the  event’s Ratnas Jhulan and Subhashree.

Spots are fast running out for the 25K, open 10K, Ananda Run (4.5K), Senior Citizens’   Run  (2.3K) & the Champions with Disability (2.3K) categories. Registration will remain   open until December 9 at tatasteelkolkata25k.procam.in.

Amit Sinha, Country Head – Branch Banking, IDFC FIRST Bank, said, “For many  seasoned as well as first-time runners, the countdown for the TATA Steel Kolkata 25K  marks a special time, because by now, they have prepared and are ready to conquer  the distance. To capture this sense of preparation and anticipation, IDFC FIRST Bank’s  theme for the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K is #JourneyToTheStart. We are delighted to be a  part of a journey, which for many, inspires wellness, energy, camaraderie and an  inclination to be outdoors. The TATA Steel Kolkata 25K also resonates well with the

IDFC FIRST brand as we are a full stack new age bank that powers the  #JourneyToTheStart of millions of people, from entrepreneurs and small businesses to  individuals, home buyers and first-time investors, making their financial lives better.”

Debashish Kumar - MLA & MMIC, Sports, Parks and Squares and Advertisements,  Kolkata Municipal Corporation, said, “TSK 25K is returning after a gap of two years.  For two years we did not have Durga Puja properly also. This event is part of Kolkata's  heartbeat and I am sure more than 15000 people will run this time. I call the people of  Kolkata to come out with new energy and run. We have been with this event from the beginning and this year also we will give full support to the event”.    

Brig R. K Singh - DY GOC, Bengal Area Headquarter Indian Army, said, “Running is  part of the blood of Indian army. We get up in the morning and run and wind up the day  running. So this event is very close to our heart. But 16000 people is too less for this city.  I urge Kolkata to wake up and run”.

Jhulan and Subhashree will be cheering participants of the Ananda Run, the soul of the event and a celebration of the spirit of Bengal.

 “Advance your New Year resolution! Begin your fitness journey with the Ananda Run, a  great place to start. And for all the runners out there, run for what brings you happiness.  See you at the start line,” Jhulan said. 

Shubhashree has called on the people of Bengal to turn the Ananda Run into a family  outing. “Come out and participate with your loved ones. Draw inspiration and inspire  others. Embrace a healthy lifestyle. I’ll be cheering for you,” she said. 

VIJAY DIWAS TROPHY: In a show of solidarity with the Services, and to celebrate Vijay Diwas which falls during the week of the event, the TSK 25K is honoured to have the  whole-hearted participation of the Eastern Command. Instituted in 2018, it remains an  integral part of the running festival. The trophy is inspired by the historic Vijay Smarak  and is a Rolling Trophy.

Vijay Diwas Trophy is contested between the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and the Indian  Air Force with a total of 30 teams. Each team will have three members running the 25K  and the aggregate of their timings will determine the winner. The top three teams stand  to win INR 60,000, INR 42,000 and INR 30,000 respectively.

THE MIRCHI GET ACTIVE EXPO: The Expo is a one-stop destination for health and  fitness enthusiasts. The three-day Expo starts on Thursday, 15th December, at the  Khudiram Anushilan Kendra. It will remain open from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm on Thursday  & Friday and between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm on Saturday. In addition to Bib collection  and Bib timing tag verification, the Expo will provide opportunities for runners to get valuable advice from experts, trainers, doctors and more in preparation for the big day.

All confirmed participants will receive a goodie bag at the Expo in addition to the running  bib, while the 25K participants will also get a Race Day Tee. The 25K and 10K finishers  will receive a medal and a timing certificate. Ananda Run participants will get a Participation medal and certificate. The Champions with Disability and Senior Citizens' Run participants will be given a Participation certificate.

Vivek Singh, Jt. MD, Procam International, said: “We are thrilled to present the  seventh edition of the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K after a two-year pandemic-forced break. It  is an event that has grown to be a part of the fabric of the city and a beacon for running  in eastern India. With the support from all our sponsors and partners, we have strived to  create a magical experience for our running community. See you all on race day!”

The Tata Steel Kolkata 25K is proud and grateful for the support of its esteemed partners:       

Associate Sponsor – IDFC FIRST Bank                                                                                      
Sportswear Partner – T10 Sports
Driven by – NEXON EV 
The Official Timer – SEIKO
Energy Drink Partner - FAST&UP
Hydration Partner – Bisleri
Medical Partner - Fortis
Hospitality Partner – The Oberoi Grand Kolkata
Entertainment Partner – Mirchi 98.3
Print Partner - The Telegraph
Philanthropy Partner – United Way Kolkata 

For more details, please contact
Procam International:
Neha Kandalgaonkar / Deepak Pilankar
neha@procam.in/ deepak@procam.in
Carpe Diem Communique Pvt. Ltd
Dolon Dasbhaumik 9874272071 /Moumita Biswas 8777866266
For more information about the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K, log on to:
tatasteelkolkata25k.procam.in/
https://www.facebook.com/TSKolkata25
https://twitter.com/TSK25K
https://www.instagram.com/tskolkata25/

About Tata Steel          

Tata Steel group is among the top global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of 34 million tonnes per annum. It is one of the world's most geographically diversified steel producers, with operations and commercial presence across the world. The group recorded a consolidated turnover of US $ 32.83 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2022. 

A Great Place to Work-Certified^TM organisation, Tata Steel Limited, together with its subsidiaries, associates, and joint ventures, is spread across five continents with an employee base of over 65,000. Tata Steel has been a part of the DJSI Emerging Markets Index since 2012 and has been consistently ranked amongst top 10 steel companies in the DJSI Corporate Sustainability Assessment since 2016. Besides being a member of ResponsibleSteel^TM, worldsteel’s Climate Action Programme and World Economic Forum’s Global Parity Alliance, Tata Steel has won several awards and recognitions including the World Economic Forum’s Global Lighthouse recognition for its Jamshedpur, Kalinganagar and IJmuiden Plants, and Prime Minister’s Trophy for the best performing integrated steel plant for 2016-17. The Company, ranked as India’s most valuable Metals & Mining brand by Brand Finance, featured amongst CII Top 25 innovative Indian Companies in 2021 and top 10 sustainable organisations of India Hurun Research Institute in the 2021 Capri Global Capital Hurun India Impact 50, received Steel Sustainability Champion recognition from worldsteel for five years in a row, ‘Most Ethical Company’ award 2021 from Ethisphere Institute, RIMS India ERM Award of Distinction 2021, Masters of Risk - Metals & Mining Sector recognition at The India Risk Management Awards for the sixth consecutive year, and Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting FY20 from ICAI, among several others.

About IDFC FIRST Bank

IDFC FIRST Bank was formed by the merger of erstwhile IDFC Bank, promoted by renowned infrastructure financing institution IDFC Ltd. and leading technology NBFC, Capital First. IDFC FIRST Bank, has a balance sheet of Rs. 2,00,565 crore, and has provided over 30 million loans in its combined history and serves customers in over 60,000 villages, cities and towns across the length and breadth of the country. The Bank believes in making customer-first products, and was the first universal bank to offer monthly interest credit on savings accounts, life time free credit cards with dynamic and low APR rates, and many other such interesting products.

The Bank’s vision is to build a world class bank in India, guided by ethics, powered by technology, and to be a force for social good. Our mission is to touch the lives of millions of Indians in a positive way by providing them high-quality banking services.

In a short time, the Bank has expanded to 651 branches, 235 asset service centres, 807 ATMs and 602 rural business correspondent centres across the country, a next-generation net and mobile banking platform and 24/7 Customer Care services, and is incrementally growing digitally. IDFC FIRST Bank is committed to bring high-quality banking at affordable rates to India. The Bank also offers high quality technology-enabled corporate banking solutions, contemporary cash management solutions, fleet card and FASTag solutions and wealth management solutions.

About Procam International

Since its inception in 1988, Procam International has been the driving force behind the growth and development of sports management in India. Founded by Anil and Vivek Singh, Procam is India's premier sports management company and is involved in live events, sports consultancy, and live television production.

Pioneers of the distance running revolution in India, Procam International's Big 4 – Tata Mumbai Marathon, Vedanta Delhi Half Marathon, Tata Consultancy Services World 10K Bengaluru, and Tata Steel Kolkata 25K are global leaders in their respective distances. They have ushered in a running revolution, that has helped to redefine, the health, fitness, and charity paradigm of India.

Procam also promotes India's largest virtual run, Sunfeast India Move As One. Launched in 2020, the event has community and fitness as its main pillars.