India Creates History Again, Clinches Third Straight Asia-Oceania Ultramarathon Crown

Hirosaki (Japan): Team India delivered a record-breaking performance at the IAU 24-Hour Asia & Oceania Championship 2026 in Hirosaki, Japan, successfully defending its continental title and further cementing its growing stature in global ultrarunning.

The Indian men's team produced a historic clean sweep of the individual podium. Amar Singh Devanda claimed the gold medal after covering an impressive 282.881 km, setting a new national record. Geeno Antony secured silver with 272.894 km, while Saurav Kumar Ranjan took bronze after completing 260.058 km.

India's men's squad also captured the team gold medal with a combined distance of 815.833 km, establishing a new Asia-Oceania record. The feat is now the highest team total ever recorded by an Asian nation at any IAU Championship and the best performance in the history of the Asia-Oceania Championships. Japan finished second with 754.726 km, while Australia settled for third with 732.525 km.

In the women's competition, Japan won team gold with 707.357 km, followed by Australia with 684.450 km. India secured the bronze medal after covering a total of 667.722 km. Tenzin Dolma led the Indian women's challenge with a remarkable 228.939 km, finishing fourth overall and setting a new Indian national record.

The championship proved to be a landmark event for Indian ultrarunning, with national records falling in both the men's and women's 12-hour and 24-hour categories. The men's team registered India's best-ever performance at an IAU Championship, while eight of the eleven Indian athletes achieved personal bests during the competition.

Amar Singh Devanda narrowly missed the Asian record by just three kilometres and recorded the best men's 24-hour performance in the world so far this year. India's men's team also came within 13 kilometres of the highest team total ever achieved at a world championship.

Head coach and team manager Santhosh Padmanabhan hailed the achievement as a proud moment for the entire ultrarunning fraternity in the country.

"This success belongs not only to the athletes but also to everyone who believed in Indian ultrarunning and supported the team throughout the journey," he said.

Reflecting on his gold-medal performance, Amar Singh Devanda said representing India on the international stage and setting a new national record was a dream achievement. He expressed hope that the result would inspire more Indian athletes to believe they can compete with the world's best in endurance sports.

Tenzin Dolma, who emerged as the standout performer among the women, said her achievement carried special significance as she came from a remote village in Himachal Pradesh. She highlighted the challenges faced by endurance athletes in securing financial support and hoped her success would encourage greater backing from sponsors and institutions.

With victories in 2022, 2024 and now 2026, India has completed a hat-trick of Asia-Oceania 24-Hour Ultramarathon titles, underlining the nation's emergence as a major force in long-distance endurance running.

The Athletics Federation of India (AFI) credited the achievement to the collective efforts of athletes, coaches, physiotherapists, nutritionists, conditioning experts and support staff who played a crucial role in preparing the team for the championship.
 

With inputs from IANS