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HomeNews43 years on, Shiv Nath’s Indian marathon record remains intact

43 years on, Shiv Nath’s Indian marathon record remains intact

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By Navneet Singh New Delhi, March 8 : The oldest Indian record in athletics, the men’s marathon, has amazingly stood unchallenged for almost 43 years in the name of Shiv Nath Singh. The latest attempt to break it here at the New Delhi Marathon was also futile as the winner, Srinu Bugatha, clocked 2 hours 14 minutes and 59 seconds.
Singh had clocked 2 hours 12 minutes over 42 kms (approximately) in Jalandhar in 1978. He passed away in June 2006, aged 56. His record, however, has stood the test of time.
Singh’s record was the focus at Sunday’s New Delhi Marathon and there was an attempt to break it. The centre of attraction was the Indian Army’s Bugatha. “I’ve done good preparation to break that barrier,” Bugatha had said on the eve of the race.
But when Bugatha crossed the finish line in 2 hours 14 minutes 59 seconds, it meant that India’s oldest athletics record remained intact.
A debate rages on how good really the generations of runners that followed Singh are.
Globally, there are more than 100 runners capable of completing the gruelling marathon race in less than 2 hours 10 minutes. Kenya’s Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge had set an astonishing world best of 2 hours 1 minute and 39 seconds at the 2018 Berlin Marathon. There is also talk that he could break the two-hour barrier.

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