TCS World 10K: Triple delight for Sanjivani, Harman surprises domestic field

Bengaluru: Sanjivani Jadhav re-asserted her dominance across long-distance road events as the Maharahstra athlete won her third TCS World 10K title without much trouble.

It was a suprise result in the men's event as Punjab's army runner Harmanjot Singh stunned the field to grab the top spot at 29:13 seconds while missing out on the course record by just a second.

Karnataka runner Shailesh Kushwaha finished second in the men's event as he finished eight seconds behind Harmanjot while another army runner Deepak Bhatt clocked 29.52 for a third spot.

However, the day belonged to Sanjivani, who holds the meet record since 2018 at 33:38 seconds, as she clocked 35:01 seconds in challenging conditions to not just defend her title in a one-horse race but also became the first Indian woman to win the event thrice. Parul Chaudhary, Preethi Rao, Swati Gandhave and Kavita Raut have won the event twice.

Speaking after the race, 2017 Asian Championships bronze medallist Sanjivani said: "The first 5kms I was running a good race and felt I could challenge my meet record but the humid conditions soon took a toll and I decided I should stick to my original plan, which was to treat this event as a practice for domestic season ahead for Asian Games qualification."

Meanwhile, Soniya (35:31) and Bhagirathi (35:32) fought tooth and nail for the second spot. Soniya, who finished seventh last year, revealed after the race that she wasn't expecting to finish in podium position and had to cancel her return tickets to attend the medal ceremony and post-race events.

The men's event saw Harmanjot, who trains under Army coach Yunus Khan in Kunoor, clock his new personal best of 29:13 while improving his previous best of 29:57 at the same event in 2024.

He stunned defending champions and course-record holder Abhishek Pal (29:12) in a field that included India's marathon sensation and doctor runner Karthik Karkera.

Sanjivani Jadhav (left) and Harmanjot Singh won the Indian Elite Athlete

Results: India: Men: Harmanjot Singh 29:13s, 1; Shailesh Kushwaha 29:21, 2; Deepak Bhatt 29:52.

Women: Sanjivani Jadhav 35:01, 1; Soniya 35:31, 2; Bhagirathi 35.32, 3.