Rajesh Ramesh and Vithya Ramraj Triumph at Indian Open 400m 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala – March 21, 2026 – Olympian Rajesh Ramesh and Vithya Ramraj secured the men’s and women’s titles, respectively, at the Indian Open 400m 2026 athletics meet held at the LNCPE Stadium. Both athletes delivered standout performances, achieving personal bests and qualifying for the upcoming Asian Games.

Rajesh Ramesh Sets Personal Best

Rajesh Ramesh clinched the men’s 400m title with a personal best time of 45.26 seconds [Source: The Tribune India]. This marks only the third instance of an Indian athlete running the 400m in under 46 seconds. TS Manu finished second in 45.96 seconds, and Amoj Jacob took third place with a time of 45.99 seconds [Source: The Tribune India].

Ramesh now joins an elite group of Indian quarter-milers – national record holder Vishal TK (45.12s) and Muhammed Anas (45.21s) – as the only Indians to have recorded sub-46-second times in the event [Source: The Tribune India].

All three podium finishers met the Athletics Federation of India’s (AFI) qualifying mark of 45.97 seconds for the 2026 Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4 [Source: The Tribune India]. However, qualifying does not guarantee selection to the Indian contingent.

Vithya Ramraj Wins Women’s Title

In the women’s 400m final, Vithya Ramraj emerged victorious with a time of 53.31 seconds [Source: The Tribune India]. Vijayakumari GK claimed second place in 53.55 seconds, while Olympian Machettira Raju Poovamma finished third with 53.61 seconds [Source: The Tribune India].

Ramraj, whose personal best stands at 52.25 seconds (achieved in 2024), led a competitive field where all three medalists surpassed the Asian Games qualification mark of 53.72 seconds [Source: The Tribune India]. Hima Das continues to hold the national record in the women’s 400m with a time of 50.79s.

The Indian Open 400m 2026 showcased promising talent and sets the stage for strong competition at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan [Source: Olympics.com].