The city’s biggest road race is back with a bigger bang.

The sixth edition of Tata Steel Kolkata 25K, partnered by The Telegraph, is going to have more people running in both the open 10K and the amateur 25K categories than last time. The race is scheduled on December 15.

Registration for both the categories has already crossed last year’s figures, organisers said. In 2018, the open 10K run had 5,802 participants and when the amateur 25K started, there were 2,710 people on the starting mat.

“The Ananda Run (5K event without timing chips) was like a stepping stone, a touch-and-feel experience for many participants in the previous years. They have now registered in the longer categories,” said Vivek Singh, joint managing director of Procam International, the organisers of the race.

This year, runners who have completed the 25K mark will get a medal made of steel. “We are proud to have made these medals. The people who complete the distance have spirit of steel. They deserve a medal that is made of no less,” said Chanakya Chaudhary, vice-president (corporate services), Tata Steel.

The guests unveil the finisher T-shirt for the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K 2019 at a city hotel on Tuesday Picture by Sanat Kr Sinha

The design of the medal includes several Calcutta landmarks.

“Six years ago, we were doubtful if people in Calcutta would turn up for a road race on a wintry Sunday morning. This city has proved us wrong and we could not be happier,” said Chaudhary, who has been associated with the race since its inception.

Major General B.K. Repswal, Major General Alok Joshi, Debashish Kumar, mayoral council member, Calcutta Municipal Corporation, and former cricketer Deep Dasgupta were among those present at the unveiling of the new medal and a new finisher tee at the Oberoi Grand.

If amateur runners lend a festive fervour to the race, the presence of so many elite athletes have ensured the city a spot on the global running map.

Lonah Salpeter, the reigning European 10,000m champion and Ethiopia’s Tariku Bekele, Olympic bronze winner and brother of distance-running icon Kenenisa Bekele, will be among the stars to watch out for this year.