Archive · 24 Jan 2026
India's Marathon Record: A New Era
India's marathon record, set in 1978, is very old.
Many runners have tried to break it, but no one has succeeded yet.
Gopi Thonakal came very close in 2025.
Now, new runners like Dr. Kartik Karkera and Sawan Barwal are training hard.
They think they can break the record soon.
The Mumbai Marathon is tough because of the heat and the course.
So, they might try to break the record in cooler, flatter places like Chicago or Valencia.
They also need better training and more chances to run with the best runners in the world.
India's marathon record of 2:12:00, set in 1978, remains unbroken.
Gopi Thonakal came closest in 2025 with a time of 2:12:23.
Dr. Kartik Karkera and Sawan Barwal are seen as the next contenders.
The Tata Mumbai Marathon's challenging conditions make it unlikely for record attempts.
Experts believe the record will be broken in the next year or two.
- Who
- Indian marathon runners, including Dr. Kartik Karkera and Sawan Barwal
- What
- Attempts to break India's long-standing marathon record
- When
- Within the next year or two, according to experts
- Where
- Potentially in races like Chicago, Valencia, or New Delhi Marathon
- Why
- Due to improved training, international exposure, and new talent
- Current Record
- 2:12:00 by Shivnath Singh (1978)
- Closest Attempt
- 2:12:23 by Gopi Thonakal (2025)
- Top Contenders
- Dr. Kartik Karkera, Sawan Barwal
- Recent Race
- Tata Mumbai Marathon 2026
- Karkera's Time
- 2:19:55
- Jadhav's Time
- 2:49:02 (fastest Indian woman)
- Abate's Time
- 2:09:55 (Ethiopian winner)
- Chekole's Time
- 2:20:59 (Ethiopian women's winner)